Prevalence and Causes of Attrition Among Surgical Residents: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pregnancy and Motherhood During Surgical Training

“…We also agree wholeheartedly that, when well thought-out, pregnancy during residency should not be met with negativity from peers and superiors; after all, adults of any sex do tend to form families. 7 However, as with some of the practical issues inherent to climbing, we do not think that the idea of regularly scrubbing out during operative cases to express breast milk is currently realistic in surgical training. Perhaps in a perfect future it will be.…”

“…3 In the past, women were more likely to delay parenthood until after completion of surgical residency, 4 but more are choosing to have children during residency. 5,6 With increasing numbers of women becoming pregnant during training and attrition of female residents estimated to be 25%, 7 the influence of childbearing on the surgical workforce must be better understood.…”

A qualitative study of gender differences in the experiences of general surgery trainees

“…[3][4][5] Few studies have investigated gender-specific challenges before the transition to autonomous surgical practice. Higher attrition rates among female surgical residents 6 contribute to under-representation of women in surgery and suggest that experiences during residency may differ by gender. Lower confidence in operative skill among women surgical residents 7,8 also supports gender-based differences among trainees.…”

Leaving surgical training: some of the reasons are in surgery

“…Trainee loss is a significant concern for surgical colleges worldwide. A meta‐analysis of 22 studies found that the international attrition rate in general surgery trainees is 18%, with over half of these being voluntary . Within the Australian and New Zealand context, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has assessed attrition rates.…”