How training is structured
The Royal College sets out the training for General Surgery in the blocks below. An internationally trained specialist is assessed on whether their own training and practice record is comparable in structure and content.
1. Surgical Foundations (foundational training in surgery)
Two (2) years (26 blocks)
Meets the Royal College Objectives of Surgical Foundations Training; comprising sections 1.1 to 1.3 below.
1.1 Junior resident in General Surgery
Six (6) to eighteen (18) blocks
As a junior resident in General Surgery.
1.2 Critical care
Two (2) blocks
Critical care.
1.3 Initial trauma management
Two (2) blocks
On a service that provides initial trauma management (such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, trauma team, Orthopedic Surgery, or Plastic Surgery).
2. Further approved residency training in General Surgery
Twenty-six (26) blocks
Comprising sections 2.1 and 2.2 below.
2.1 Senior resident
Minimum thirteen (13) blocks
As a senior resident.
2.2 Surgical subspecialty selection
Maximum six (6) blocks
Selected from one or more of pediatric surgery, thoracic surgery, or vascular surgery.
3. Gastrointestinal endoscopy
Two (2) blocks
Including both upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.
4. Selective rotations
Eleven (11) blocks
Any combination of further General Surgery, other relevant disciplines, or research (see flexible options).
Required experiences
Specific experiences the Royal College names for this discipline.
- 1. Two (2) years (26 blocks) of foundational training in surgery that meets the requirements of the Royal College Objectives of Surgical Foundations Training, which must include sections 1.1 to 1.3
- 1.1 Six (6) to eighteen (18) blocks as a junior resident in General Surgery
- 1.2 Two (2) blocks of critical care
- 1.3 Two (2) blocks on a service that provides initial trauma management (such as Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, trauma team, Orthopedic Surgery, or Plastic Surgery)
- 2. Twenty-six (26) blocks of further approved residency training in General Surgery, including: 2.1 a minimum of thirteen (13) blocks as a senior resident; 2.2 a maximum of six (6) blocks selected from one or more of 2.2.1 pediatric surgery, 2.2.2 thoracic surgery, 2.2.3 vascular surgery
- 3. Two (2) blocks of training in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, including both upper and lower gastrointestinal tract
Flexible or selective components
Where the requirements allow a choice.
- 4. Eleven (11) blocks of selective rotations, which may include any combination of: 4.1 further training in General Surgery; 4.2 clinical rotations in other surgical and non-surgical disciplines relevant to the resident's career goals; 4.3 clinical or basic research
The General Surgery guide as one PDF
The six PER steps, your document checklist, and the General Surgery training requirements in a single file. Free.
Get the free PDFCommon questions
What is the Practice Eligibility Route in General Surgery?
The Practice Eligibility Route (PER) is the Royal College process by which an internationally trained specialist can be assessed for eligibility to sit the certification examination in General Surgery without repeating a Canadian residency. The Royal College reads your postgraduate training and practice record against the published Specialty Training Requirements for the discipline.
What training does the Royal College expect in General Surgery?
The Specialty Training Requirements describe five (5) years of approved residency training in General Surgery. The full block-by-block structure is set out on this page, taken from the Royal College document for this discipline.
Does meeting the training requirements guarantee eligibility?
No. Eligibility is a committee decision made on your individual file, and other factors are considered. This page reproduces the published requirements so you can see how your own training compares before you apply; it is not an eligibility ruling.
Where do I start?
Read the six steps in the PER guide, then have your training mapped against the Specialty Training Requirements before you pay any fees. The free PDF for this specialty carries the steps, the document checklist, and the General Surgery requirements in one file.
Not sure the PER is your route?
Some specialists are better served by a provincial practice-ready assessment, and some provinces assess only the disciplines currently on their intake list. The free screener checks your file against every route in about two minutes.
Check my options
PRA for specialists
More on the route itself: the full PER guide covers the six steps and the document checklist. Royal College examination dates for every discipline are on the Deadline Radar, and Canadian clinical fellowships in General Surgery are in the Fellowship Finder.
Adapted from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Specialty Training Requirements for General Surgery. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal College. Requirements change and every application is reviewed individually; final decisions rest solely with the Royal College. Always verify current requirements at
royalcollege.ca before acting.