Surgical rotations in provincial South Australia: The trainees' perspective

Background: Rural general surgery is faced with a shortage of resident surgeons in many parts of Australia. Although it is accepted that an undergraduate rural exposure favourably influences graduates to undertake rural practice, it is not known whether postgraduate terms exert a similar effect. Method: Advanced general surgical trainees in 2000 were rotated for 1-month terms to Whyalla, a major provincial centre in South Australia. The trainees were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after the rotation. Results: A total of nine trainees completed a rural term in Whyalla. Eight questionnaires were returned prior to the rotation and seven following the time in Whyalla. The overall experience, and the teaching standards and pathology experienced were rated highly but the term had little effect in changing trainee's attitudes towards eventual practice location. Conclusion: Postgraduate surgical terms in South Australia are a relatively new phenomenon compared to other states in Australia. Without a foundation in rural surgery at an undergraduate level, surgical terms for trainees, despite being of high quality, might not be very successful in influencing graduates to practise surgery in rural locations.