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Harvesting the 'SEAD': Long-Term Follow-Up of the Surgical Exploration and Discovery Program
Linden K Head1, Brittany Greene2, Nada Gawad2
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Objective:
The Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) program was established to facilitate career decision-making by providing preclerkship students with comprehensive exposure to surgical specialties. Our short-term findings demonstrated that, compared to a control group, SEAD participants showed significantly greater career-related learning. The purpose of this study was to understand the long-term impact of the SEAD program.
Design:
This was a prospective cohort study. One group of students participated in a 2-week surgical curriculum (SEAD group) while another group read only the program manual (Manual group). Students were surveyed following their residency selection 3 years later. The outcome measures were final specialty preference (medical or surgical), program utility, and program satisfaction.
Setting:
Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Participants:
A total of 18 medical students in the SEAD group, and 18 in the Manual group.
Results:
Survey response rate was 100%. There was no significant difference in the number of students who pursued surgical careers in the SEAD and Manual groups. All students who pursued a surgical residency were 'very interested' in surgery prior to SEAD-initial interest in surgery had a significant influence on final residency preference. Ninety-four percent (n = 17) of SEAD participants described the SEAD program as valuable to facilitating their career decision-making.
Conclusions:
Although SEAD does not generate sustained new interest in surgical disciplines, graduating students believe the program is valuable in facilitating career decision-making and perceive the program as a worthwhile time investment. These findings were true for students who selected both surgical and medical specialties, suggesting that early, multifaceted, exposure to surgery is a valuable addition to career exploration even for students who ultimately don't pursue surgical specialties. Going forward, integrating a longitudinal mentorship program may further improve the value of SEAD.