How many surgeons do we need?

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com Article first published online: 29 SEP 2004This article focuses upon the number of surgeons required in medical field. Forecasts of surgical manpower remain exceedingly difficult to make. It would be fair to suggest that over the last 50 years few, if any, predictions worldwide or within Australia have been helpful or able to approximate the actual numbers of surgeons required. This appalling result for workforce predictions within surgery has a number of possible explanations. Women have also entered the surgical workforce with over 21.5% of surgical trainees in Australia now women, compared with less than 2% 30 years ago. These female surgeons often need and wish to interrupt their careers to have children and seem more likely to demand balance in their working life to care for children and themselves.Guy Madder