Core Surgical Curriculum
Following medical studies, the basic organizations belonging to the Swiss College of Surgeons require structured basic further training in surgery so that trainees become familiar with the basic principles of surgery on the one hand and gain confidence in the care of patients who require surgical treatment on the other. In future, further training will be based on the concept of competence-based medicine because, in addition to knowledge, a broad spectrum of skills and abilities is required to deal with a wide variety of issues in everyday clinical practice.
INTRODUCTION
With the Core Surgical Curriculum (CSC), the basic surgical training of the specialist societies affiliated to the SCS will be harmonized and the basic surgical training will be mutually recognized, which will provide more options for assistants. The CSC is designed to enable newcomers to provide patient care on the wards, in the outpatient department and in emergencies. This includes knowledge of pathophysiology, development of therapy concepts and assisting effectively during operations. The learning objectives and competencies to be acquired are summarized in the «White book CSC». Detailed information can be found in the article by Widmer et al. SAEZ 2024.
The CSC is completed with a CSC certificate, which confirms the e-learning modules completed, the Entrustable Professional Activities completed during the training and the number of credits for hands-on workshops and training events. This document can be submitted in place of the passed basic examination for admission to the specialist examination.
Further information on the CSC certificate can be found here.
CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE CSC
The content of the CSC focuses on "Clinical Reasoning". The program includes three components:
e-learning: Four classes with up to 15 modules are given in the form of e-learning. These include a theory block, a series of clinical case studies, and finally multiple-choice questions.
Courses: Interactive training events are available on certain days and during congresses, , or through webinars. Here important topics on patient care are covered both theoretically andpractically.
In the hospitals: The clinical training facilities are encouraged to offer regular in-house courses and training for CSC graduates. With "Entrustable Professional Activities” (EPA’s), the acquired competencies are electronically recorded and monitored.
CSC IN ENGLISH
The CSC was deliberately written in English. This was done in accordance with the PROFILES learning objectives catalog of the medical school (www.profilesmed.ch). The Core Surgical Exam and the CSC assessment, which is to be taken after the first two years, are also in English (https://basisexamen.ch/).
COSTS
Price for SCS junior members (including SCS membership fee for 2 years): CHF 700.00
Price for SCS non-members: CHF 1'000.00
REGISTRATION
Click on the following link to register for the Core Surgical Curriculum.
FREE TRIAL VERSION
The following link will take you to the free trial version of the e-learning modules of the Core Surgical Curriculum. If you would like access to the full version, you can register for a fee via the registration link above.
CORE SURGICAL EXAM AND/OR CORE SURGICAL CURRICULUM
In future, admission to the specialist examination will require either proof of a passed Core Surgical Exam or a certificate of a completed CSC, which will also include a CSC assessment from 2026.
Information on which further training programs are already subject to this regulation can be found on the website of the Swiss Institute for Continuing and Further Education (https://www.siwf.ch/weiterbildung/facharzttitel-und-schwerpunkte.cfm).
All SCS-affiliated specialist societies are currently adapting their training programs to the new regulation.