Informed consent is the process of communication between a patient and a physician that results in the patient's authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention. As a shared decision, it is a critical component in the relationship between surgeons and their patients. Central to informed consent is the idea of autonomy, whereby patients make their own decisions after the physician has detailed the nature of the treatment, its possible alternatives, and its potential risks and benefits. As part of this discussion, it seems obvious that patients would want the extent of involvement of surgical trainees during a surgical procedure to be disclosed, but current ethical and legal requirements for informed consent for care by trainees have not been well elucidated. According to the American Medical Association, the physician is obligated to disclose and to discuss the patient's diagnosis; the nature and purpose of the proposed procedure; and the associated risks and potential benefits of the procedure, its possible alternatives, and of foregoing the procedure. To my knowledge, no specific requirement or guidance exists regarding disclosure of the extent of participation of surgical trainees.