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Abstract Aim International surgical trainees view training overseas as an attractive pathway for achieving excellence in surgery. The internationally recognised MRCS examinations provide a benchmark that trainees can use to meet this aspiration while also benefitting from great international mobility. We aimed to look at the awareness and views of Egyptian surgical trainees to training in the UK and pursuing MRCS. The motivations for and the barriers to these aspirations were explored. Method An observational cross-sectional study of interns, residents, and assistant lecturers at Ain Shams University Hospitals was conducted from October to December 2023 using a 26-item paper-based survey. This was designed to assess understanding of UK surgical training and ascertain views on UK surgical training and pursuing the MRCS examinations. Results 194 participants were involved in this study, with 58.76% being male and the mean age being 26.84 ± 2.58 years. 73.4% generally agree that pursuing surgical training in the UK is an attractive career option. 55.85% generally agree that it is a financially viable career option, and 31.38% remain neutral. 66.5% personally know someone who has trained in the UK and/or sat MRCS. 51.59% report it is easy to find information on UK training and the MRCS exams. Conclusions It is evident that surgical training in the UK and pursuing MRCS is an attractive option for Egyptian surgical trainees. However, many barriers and a lack of information make these aspirations hard to achieve. Further work is required to improve support structures and to assess if these sentiments are shared with trainees elsewhere.
Jeff Miller (Mon,) studied this question.