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Most newly qualified doctors show limited confidence, mixed knowledge, and minimal formal training in managing bariatric surgery patients, underscoring urgent curriculum improvements.
A new survey of Foundation Year 1 (FY1) doctors in South-East London has revealed significant gaps in knowledge and confidence when it comes to tackling patients with obesity and those who have undergone bariatric surgery.
The study, led by T Patel et al., invited 70 FY1 doctors from several hospitals to complete an anonymous questionnaire assessing their awareness, attitudes, and familiarity with obesity and bariatric surgery. It also gathered information on prior training and experience. Of the 60 doctors who responded (86% response rate), 55% were female and nearly half (48%) were aged between 25 and 30. While 68% recognised bariatric surgery as an effective treatment for obesity, only 22% viewed it as the most beneficial method for long-term weight loss.
Most volunteers (73%) agreed that bariatric surgery should be funded by the National Health Service (NHS), yet 10% still perceived it as a purely cosmetic procedure. Attitudes towards obesity were mixed — 43% believed it to be self-inflicted, and 82% considered it a societal burden. Knowledge levels also varied: 62% correctly identified the body mass index (BMI) cut-off for obesity, but familiarity with specific surgical procedures was inconsistent, with One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass being the least recognised (35%).
Only 32% of respondents felt confident managing bariatric surgery patients, and the majority (78%) reported receiving no formal undergraduate teaching on bariatric surgery. A striking 88% supported introducing more comprehensive obesity and bariatric surgery education into medical curricula at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The study concludes that limited clinical confidence among junior doctors is linked to insufficient training and gaps in procedural knowledge.
With obesity rates on the rise and bariatric surgery playing an increasingly central role in treatment, the authors stress the urgency of embedding targeted teaching into medical education to ascertain that future clinicians are prepared to deliver safe, effective care.
British Journal of Surgery
954 Perceptions of Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Among Newly Qualified Doctors: A Multi-Hospital Survey Study
T Patel et al.
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