Fresh frozen cadaver workshops for general surgical training

Background The technical proficiency of a surgeon is intricately linked to training and experience. Reduction in working hours, decreased operating time and ethical imperatives to protect patients have all resulted in a decrease in hands-on experience. The introduction of laparoscopic procedures has also decreased trainees' exposure to open operative procedures not routinely performed in the current era. Methods The Clinical Training and Evaluation Centre at The University of Western Australia introduced the Core Skills Workshop for general surgical trainees in 2007. The workshop provides cadaveric dissection time for a range of open procedures. We describe in this article the logistics of setting up and running a cadaveric workshop, the performance and report our trainees' evaluation of the workshop. Results The Clinical Training and Evaluation Centre has hosted 26 General Surgery Core Skills Workshops since 2007. There were 227 participants with 196 evaluations returned (response rate 86%). Feedback was strongly positive for the course meeting the participants' expectations as well as its contribution to their skillset. Participants value the use of cadavers and high instructor:student ratios along with performance of a large number of open procedures in the setting of a stress-free workshop and looked forward to more similar courses in the future. Conclusions Fresh frozen cadaver workshops are of value in the face of current surgical training challenges in providing an efficient, effective and safe environment.