RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Defining the Canadian rural general surgeon
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E129
OP E141
DO 10.1503/cjs.002123
VO 67
IS 2
A1 Lyndsay Glass
A1 Malcolm Davidson
A1 Emily Friedrich
A1 Rebecca Afford
A1 Sarah MacVicar
A1 Quinn Gentles
A1 Peter Miles
A1 Roy Kirkpatrick
A1 Lauren Smithson
A1 Mark Walsh
A1 Stephen Hiscock
A1 Evan Wong
A1 Caitlin Champion
YR 2024
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/67/2/E129.abstract
AB Background A total of 18%–30% of Canadians live in a rural area and are served by 8% of the country’s general surgeons. The demographic characteristics of Canada’s population and its geography greatly affect the health outcomes and needs of the population living in rural areas, and rural general surgeons hold a unique role in meeting the surgical needs of these communities. Rural general surgery is a distinct area of practice that is not well understood. We aimed to define the Canadian rural general surgeon to inform rural health human resource planning.Methods A scoping review of the literature was undertaken of Ovid, MEDLINE, and Embase using the terms “rural,” “general surgery,” and “workforce.” We limited our review to articles from North America and Australia.Results The search yielded 425 titles, and 110 articles underwent full-text review. A definition of rural general surgery was not identified in the Canadian literature. Rurality was defined by population cut-offs or combining community size and proximity to larger centres. The literature highlighted the unique challenges and broad scope of rural general surgical practice.Conclusion Rural general surgeons in Canada can be defined as specialists who work in a small community with limited metropolitan influence. They apply core general surgery skills and skills from other specialties to serve the unique needs of their community. Surgical training programs and health systems planning must recognize and support the unique skill set required of rural general surgeons and the critical role they play in the health and sustainability of rural communities.