LAUSR

The profession of orthopedic surgery is constantly evolving. Fast surgical and technological progress, new forms of communication and social media, commercial pressures, deep changes in society and patient expectations, gender and generational changes among surgeons, and the shifting economic landscapes of European healthcare environments are major cornerstones of this process. The level of surgical specialization and standardization of orthopedic procedures has increased, while postgraduate and continuing professional education and training remain highly diverse. The principles of surgical education and training are anchored in the nineteenth century [8]. They are complex and, in addition to physicians’ fundamental qualities like the theoretical understanding of their specialty and empathy towards patients, surgeons need to acquire advanced motor skills which need to be learned in safe and secure environments [3, 4]. Despite having significantly improved over the last 15 years, education and training in the fields of interest of ESSKA (the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy) still lack harmonization [5]. When the ESSKA leadership analyzed the development of the field over the last 15 years and the changing needs of their members, it appeared that postgraduate and subsequent super-specialized education and training were insufficiently structured and standardized across Europe, and it, therefore, seemed urgent to develop new and well-defined educational pathways for these [8]. Therefore, ESSKA now has developed a core curriculum which may help to harmonize specialty and postgraduate training of orthopedic surgeons [2, 7]. A core curriculum represents a shared understanding of what individuals working in discrete specialist areas need to be able to do and is a living document which can be updated over time as circumstances and technologies change. It enables teachers to communicate with trainees about what to learn, to tailor their teaching appropriately, and to develop fair and reliable assessments. It helps trainees reflect on their progress and experience in different areas, identify what they need to practice and study, and actively seek out opportunities and resources to address gaps in their learning. A core curriculum also provides clinical experts, leaders, and academics with a common language to discuss their clinical and educational practice, share expertise and resources between specialties and countries, and collaborate and undertake relevant research. An evidence-based core curriculum also inherently promotes best practice based on research and a broad base of expert opinion, and thus helps to address issues of clinical governance, regional variation, cost-effectiveness, and patient safety. Clinicians are not limited to learning only the contents of a core curriculum, either during their training or specialist practice, and will inevitably develop other competencies arising from their own individual experience, preferences and the needs of the healthcare system, and context in which they work. There * Martin Lind [email protected]