Chapter 2
Methods and materials
Interviewees came from most geographical regions. Ten surgeons were from Europe, one from North America, one from the Middle East, and seven from Asia Pacific.
Origin of interviewees Asia Pacific
1
1
Europe Middle East
7
North America
10
Figure 4 Geographic origin of participants in stage two of the pilot study.
2.3
Conclusions of the pilot study
The pilot study suggested that surgeons pass through distinct and defi nable career stages and that their educational requirements did change with their career stage. The variation in career pathways and the huge variety of educational preferences discovered suggested that a larger study should be carried out to more accurately describe both career patterns and the resultant educational requirements as they vary around the world. 2.3.1 Career stages indentifi ed
All surgeons could identify clear career pathways within their country of practice and could recognize that they had been through different stages of their careers. Four career stages were described although there was considerable variation from surgeon to surgeon and from country to country.
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