The Current State of Surgical Interest Amongst Rural Junior Doctors and Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Rural Health Workforce

Background:

• Declining interest in surgical careers among medical students and junior doctors.
• Urgent need to cultivate interest, particularly in rural areas.
• Study investigates current interest levels and influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess current interest in surgical careers among medical students and junior doctors.
• Identify key factors influencing career choices in surgery.
• Inform strategies to promote surgical careers, especially in rural settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey administered to medical students and junior doctors.
• Assessed interest, operating theatre engagement, and perceived barriers/enablers.
• Utilized a five-point Likert scale for response evaluation.

Main Results:

• Interest in surgery decreased with higher training levels (medical student to junior doctor).
• Poor work-life balance perceived as a major deterrent (91%).
• Baseline interest and early exposure positively correlated with sustained interest.

Conclusions:

• Baseline surgical interest is a strong predictor of sustained interest post-rotation.
• Surgical career interest diminishes during training, necessitating early intervention.
• Rural-origin doctors show higher intent to practice rurally.