Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Emergency Undocking in Robotic Surgery: A Simulation Curriculum
Published on: May 20, 2018
A nonmetropolitan surgery clerkship increases interest in a surgical career
Mackenzie R Cook1, Moon Yoon1, John Hunter1
1Department of Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Mail Code L611, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Background:
The optimal way to recruit the best and brightest medical students to fill the impending shortfall of general surgeons is uncertain.
Methods:
Forty-three students were placed into nonmetropolitan sites for their basic surgical clerkship over 3 years. We surveyed students and compared match trends.
Results:
When students selected to participate in the nonmetropolitan clerkship were examined, only 22% of students reported interest in a surgical career before their clerkship. This interest in surgery increased to 63% after the nonmetropolitan clerkship, P < .05. When match numbers were examined, students who completed the nonmetropolitan clerkship were significantly more likely to match to a general surgical residency than students who completed the standard clerkship (17% vs 6%, P < .02).
Conclusions:
These data challenge the perception that students should remain at a teaching university for their introductory clerkships. It may be that pairing students with individual faculty, or chief residents, could increase interest in a surgical career.
