The path to becoming a surgeon is lengthy and, at times, grueling.

In New Zealand, a preliminary medical degree (MBChB) takes six years of study. Students take general Bachelor of Health Sciences papers in their first year, and those with strong (read: top-notch) grade-point averages apply for admission to second year – part II of the MBChB programme. Admission to second year is decided on through grades and an interview, and many able and worthy applicants miss out on selection. Of those who don’t make the cut, some opt to study overseas, while others continue studying for the Health Sciences degree with the hope of applying to part II again in their third year. Many will, however, switch to dentistry, nursing or other medico-science fields.

In second year (part II) students are assigned to cadavers that they dissect – an undertaking that allows them to learn the intricacies of the human anatomy. From year four, med students begin to learn in hospitals and community settings, rotating for between 35–42 weeks of the year. In year five students are placed at a general practice or rural medical setting. The sixth and ‘final’ year is spent in a hospital setting and students complete an eight-week placement overseas.

Newby graduate doctors are then plunged into two-year hospital shifts as junior house surgeons, at times working up to 80 hours per week. Following this, it can take between three to five years (sometimes more) of training to become a qualified and registered surgeon.

Surgeons learn their specialised skills through ‘surgical skill labs’ – where they practise on synthetic materials – as well as on the job. Training continues throughout a surgeon’s career as new surgical methods and techniques evolve.

Is there a point after all the training, however, where surgical skill level simply plateaus? Do surgeons, like top athletes and concert musicians, require coaching to perfect their technique and stay on top of their game?

Dr Atwul Gawande discusses the idea of coaching surgeons to their personal best.

Read more.