Key Aspects of an Effective Surgical Curriculum for Medical Students

Surgery is a competitive specialty that a proportion of medical students choose to pursue however, many individuals find enhancing their portfolio difficult at such an early stage. This letter aims to provide a structured way in which surgically minded medical students can take advantage of opportunities to start to build a strong portfolio. There are 5 key areas to address throughout medical school: anatomy, clinical skills, management, research and mentorship. The overriding theme is that we must not only show an enthusiasm for surgical education, we must also be provided with an innovative and inspirational training programme.