Self-reported operative exposure and autonomy among surgical trainees at selected centers in France and Morocco: a multicenter survey

@article{michot2026selfreported,
  title = {{Self-reported operative exposure and autonomy among surgical trainees at selected centers in France and Morocco: a multicenter survey}},
  author = {Nicolas Michot and Amine Souadka and Mehdi Soufi and Charles Sabbagh and Oumayma Lahnaoui and Aurélien Venara and Zaher Lakkis and Bogdan Badic and Zakaria El Mouatassim and Johan Gagnière and Emilie Duchalais and Niki Christou and Bertrand Martin and Yassine El Bouazizi and Diane Mège and Léon Maggiori and Mohamed Reda El Hassouni and Jérémie Lefèvre and Gilles Manceau and Laura Beyer and Valérie Bridoux and Arnaud Alves and Amina Houmada and David Moskowitz and Tarik Souiki and Guillaume Piessen and Ephrem Salamé and Abdellilah Souadka and Urs Giger-Pabst and Mehdi Ouaissi and OncologiqueLa Société Marocaine d’Oncologie Digestive (SMOD)},
  journal = {BMC Medical Education},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s12909-026-10129-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10129-6},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Self-reported operative exposure and autonomy among surgical trainees at selected centers in France and Morocco: a multicenter survey
AU  - Nicolas Michot
AU  - Amine Souadka
AU  - Mehdi Soufi
AU  - Charles Sabbagh
AU  - Oumayma Lahnaoui
AU  - Aurélien Venara
AU  - Zaher Lakkis
AU  - Bogdan Badic
AU  - Zakaria El Mouatassim
AU  - Johan Gagnière
AU  - Emilie Duchalais
AU  - Niki Christou
AU  - Bertrand Martin
AU  - Yassine El Bouazizi
AU  - Diane Mège
AU  - Léon Maggiori
AU  - Mohamed Reda El Hassouni
AU  - Jérémie Lefèvre
AU  - Gilles Manceau
AU  - Laura Beyer
AU  - Valérie Bridoux
AU  - Arnaud Alves
AU  - Amina Houmada
AU  - David Moskowitz
AU  - Tarik Souiki
AU  - Guillaume Piessen
AU  - Ephrem Salamé
AU  - Abdellilah Souadka
AU  - Urs Giger-Pabst
AU  - Mehdi Ouaissi
AU  - OncologiqueLa Société Marocaine d’Oncologie Digestive (SMOD)
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/11
JO  - BMC Medical Education
DO  - 10.1186/s12909-026-10129-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10129-6
AB  - Background: The expansion of minimally invasive surgery has transformed surgical practice and training worldwide. However, operative exposure to laparoscopic and open procedures may vary across healthcare systems. Comparative international data on operative autonomy and procedural experience during surgical residency remain limited. This study aimed to compare operative exposure, autonomy, and trainee perceptions regarding open and laparoscopic surgery among surgical trainees at selected centers in France and Morocco.  Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted among surgical trainees at academic centers in France and Morocco. Participants were stratified by postgraduate year (PGY 1–8). Self-reported operative exposure and autonomy were assessed for common general surgical procedures (appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and inguinal hernia repair) and complex colorectal procedures (colectomy and proctectomy) performed using open and laparoscopic approaches. Trainee perceptions of preparedness for minimally invasive surgery and the value of prior training in open surgery were also evaluated. Comparisons were made according to country and level of training.  Results: A total of 131 trainees participated, including 67 from Morocco and 64 from France. Trainees at French centers reported significantly greater exposure to laparoscopic procedures across training levels (p < 0.001), whereas trainees at Moroccan centers reported greater exposure to open appendectomy, inguinal hernia repair, and proctectomy (p < 0.001). Operative autonomy increased with training seniority in both groups, although trainees at French centers reported greater autonomy in laparoscopic procedures. Trainees at Moroccan centers were significantly more likely to consider prior training in open surgery necessary before performing laparoscopic procedures (p < 0.01).  Conclusions: These findings support context-adapted curricula that preserve competence in open surgery while expanding access to structured, supervised training in minimally invasive surgery.  Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10129-6.
SN  - 1472-6920
ER  -