Are you a surgical role model?

Multiple papers have examined the recent decline in the number of surgical residency applicants. Many have concluded that a lack of role models in surgery is at least partially responsible for this decline. However, to date, the definition of a surgical role model does not exist. This paper defines a surgical role model based on criteria determined by surgery residents.

Fourth- and fifth-year surgical residents from 1 residency program were asked to collaboratively define 9 characteristics that make a surgical role model. The 9 criteria as defined by the residents were didactic teaching, teaching rounds, attendance at didactic activities, demonstrates skills and decision making in the operating room with confidence and virtuosity, allows [resident] to do procedures according to ability, allows autonomy to make independent decisions, provides feedback, stimulates critical thinking with use of literature, and assists [resident] to find and complete research for publication. Each resident in the program was then given a questionnaire and asked to evaluate each of the 49 teaching attendings on each of the 9 criteria, on a 3-point scale. Finally, residents evaluated each attending based on professionalism and mutual respect on a scale of I Don't Want To Emulate Him/Her, OK, or Role Model. These categories were also assigned a number (1, 2, and 3, respectively). Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used to determine the relationship between "Role Model" and the 9 criteria. The unit of analysis was the mean rating given each attending on each of the 10 scales.

A total of 847 questionnaires were analyzed. Each of the 9 criteria correlated significantly with the Role Model rating (all p < 0.01). The average correlation was 0.73 (range, 0.64 to 0.78). Of the 9 criteria, 4 correlated best with the Role Model, as shown in. The stepwise regression indicates that 3 of the 9 criteria are uniquely associated with the Role Model variable. These 3 criteria are stimulates critical thinking with use of literature, allows autonomy to make independent decisions, and attendance at didactic activities.

All of the 9 criteria are important factors in residents' perception of the Role Model characteristics of attending faculty. A parsimonious, operational definition of the surgical attending role model is one who stimulates the resident to think, gives the resident the opportunity to think and act independently, and is available to the resident.