Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract Aim The study question is “What are the experiences and opinions of orthopaedic surgical trainees and educators in the UK regarding the acquisition of technical surgical skills during postgraduate surgical specialty training?’’ Method This is a qualitative study following the principles of grounded theory. It was conducted in the East Midlands region between May and September 2023 with a purposive sample of six surgical trainees and four trainers using individual semi-structured interviews. Data analysis applied the constant comparative approach with open, axial, and selective coding of data to develop themes. Results Four overarching themes arose from the data collected. These included the role of the trainer, the shape of the training curriculum, theatre experience, and service delivery challenges. These themes were found to be interconnected. Conclusions The findings of this study provide an understanding of the process of acquiring technical surgical skills. Insights gained from the experiences and opinions of orthopaedic surgical trainees highlighted the pivotal role of trainers, the necessity for an adaptable curriculum, the nature of varied theatre experiences, and the effects of service delivery challenges, which have continued since the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights shed light on surgical education and training, offering a basis for further investigation and refinement in training approaches, curriculum formulation, and instructional settings.
Al-Jasim et al. (Mon,) studied this question.