peer reviewed ; Background: Incoming trainees in general surgery are confronted to stress due to a lack of theoretical and practical knowledge when they are sent to clinical departments just after finishing medical school. We built a 5-day surgical bootcamp to overcome this issue, increase their confidence and improve their basic surgical skills. Our aim was to assess the role of 2020 and 2021 bootcamps. Methods: During the last week before starting their first year of residency on October 1st, incoming trainees are invited to participate to a one-week hybrid bootcamp in our simulation center and the anatomy department, mixing theoretical lessons on various subjects as emergency surgeries, organization of the 6-year followship, surgical tools and devices, with hands-on simulation (dry lab, wet lab, basic and advanced laparoscopic simulators, cadaveric lab) on basic surgical tasks as suturing, knots, plasters, thoracic drain, cystostomy. Questionnaires were sent before, right after and 6 months after the bootcamp. Results: All trainees (n=30, 100%) participated to the bootcamps and answered the pre bootcamp questionnaire. 76% considered they were not ready to be on-call, and only 20% attributed this issue to the covid epidemics. 30% and 76% had no experience in plaster immobilization and thoracic drainage, respectively. Post bootcamp questionnaires confirm that such bootcamps are considered very helpful and should be recommended. Conclusion: although it is difficult to objectively confirm the exact role of such bootcamps, there is a need for a better preparation of incoming trainees in general surgery. Bootcamp combining theoretical and practical courses seem to be well adapted for early surgical trainees.