Overview of general surgery medical residency programs and prerequisite program in basic surgical area in Brazil: Historical review and update

OBJECTIVE: to describe vacancy regulation process by adding, describing the panorama of the General Surgery Residency Program (PRMCG) and the Basic Surgical Prerequisites Program (PRACB). METHOD: descriptive, quali-quantitative, cross sectional study conducted from document analysis from National Commission of Medical Residency (CNRM). RESULTS: in 2018, after evaluation of the General Surgery Services for adequacy of the number of vacancies (DS), the PRACB was instituted as a modality of access to surgical specialties until definitive change in the time of the formation of the general surgeon for three years, in 2022. In the first addition of vacancies in 2018, 127 PRMCG were authorized with 736 vacancies of R1 and 290 PRACB (2 years) with 1.286 vacancies offered for R1. In the second addition in 2021, 423 PRM were authorized with 1.564 R1 vacancies in PRMCG. DISCUSSION: the regulation of the offer of vacancies for the formation of specialties in Brazil should align the evaluation of practice scenarios with the profile of skills. The PRACB modality was instituted for a certain time for budgetary preparation and practice scenarios until the complete transition to training in 3 years. CONCLUSION: Brazil by 2018 was the only country to grant the Board Certification to General Surgeon with only 2 years of training. After a transitional period the same analysis methodology for adding and regulating vacancies was applied to services.