There is increasing worldwide recognition of the competing forces of restriction of trainee working hours against the rising tide of technological advances in surgery. Whilst this has been recognised, the imposition of age due to the trend towards postgraduate medical education in Australia has not been quantified in current research. Simulation will provide an ever-increasing complement to the repertoire of surgical training tools; however, its role has yet to be properly elucidated. This study begins to clarify some of the questions raised within the conversation of the future of surgical training and in particular whether the effect of age or fatigue plays an important role upon the performance of newly-acquired surgical skills such as those performed by a junior trainee surgeon. ukryj opis