Over the past 2 years, the national Task Force on the Future of General Surgery has grappled with questions related to the future configuration of the discipline. The goal is to ensure training that optimally prepares surgeons for practice in the full range of settings where general surgeons work in Canada, while national standards in surgical care are maintained and technical expertise is promoted. Their recommendations, available online in the Task Force’s final report, set an international precedent for a tailored approach to general surgery residency training.1 In this commentary, we look to the past for the context in which the task force undertook its work.