Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2025
04:14
Author Spotlight: Recent Advancements in Reoperative Foregut Surgery
Published on: September 22, 2023
531
The Current Pediatric Surgery Job Market: A Perspective of Recent Fellowship Graduates
Steven L Raymond1, Jason O Robertson2, Marla A Sacks3
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|March 13, 2023
Summary
Recent pediatric surgery graduates prioritize camaraderie and mentorship in job searches. Many face significant debt and lower-than-benchmark compensation, indicating a need for better career support and negotiation training.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Workforce Analysis
- Medical Education Outcomes
- Career Development in Surgery
Background:
- The pediatric surgery job market is evolving, impacting new graduates' career trajectories.
- Understanding the priorities and challenges faced by recent fellowship graduates is crucial for workforce planning.
- Previous assessments of the pediatric surgery workforce have not fully captured the recent graduate perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the pediatric surgery job market from the viewpoint of recent fellowship graduates.
- To identify key factors influencing job satisfaction and negotiation preparedness among new pediatric surgeons.
- To assess the alignment between graduate expectations and employment realities in pediatric surgery.
Main Methods:
- An anonymous online survey was distributed to 137 pediatric surgeons who completed fellowships between 2019 and 2021.
- The survey assessed priorities in job selection, satisfaction with employment opportunities, and preparedness for negotiation.
- Response rate was 49%, with data analyzed to identify trends in demographics, debt, job preferences, and compensation.
Main Results:
- Respondents emphasized camaraderie, mentorship, case mix, and geography as primary job considerations.
- A significant portion reported high student debt ($225,000 median) and dissatisfaction with available employment opportunities (30%).
- While all secured positions, median compensation lagged behind benchmarks, and only 12% obtained protected research time.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric surgery graduates highly value non-monetary aspects like mentorship and collegiality.
- There is a clear need for enhanced support from professional societies and training programs to improve graduates' negotiation skills and career satisfaction.
- Further assessment of the pediatric surgery workforce is warranted to address compensation disparities and research time limitations.
