Why do Polish medical students resign from pursuing surgical careers? A survey study

Skorus, Urszula; Karpińska, Izabela; Kominko, Anna; Romaniszyn, Michał

doi:10.5604/01.3001.0013.7955

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…One of the strengths of our study is providing new and previously uncollected data. So far, no nationwide study in this area has been conducted; rather, studies on the choice of a specific medical specialization [ 11 ] or single-center study [ 12 ] are available. The added value of this study is new evidence: our findings confirmed that work-life balance and flexible working conditions are crucial factors determining medical specialty selection by young doctors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting young doctors’ choice of medical specialty—A qualitative study

Michalik,

Kulbat,

Domagała

2024

PLoS ONE

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Background Young doctors’ choice of medical specialty is essential to maintaining a sufficient health workforce and developing a sustainable healthcare system. The choice of specialization is the result of numerous factors, including doctors’ preferences, population needs, and the number of available residency slots. The aim of this article is to explore the factors taken into consideration by young Polish physicians in choosing their future specialty. Methods We have conducted 30 structured interviews with randomly selected recent medical school graduates (17 female and 13 male). The study was conducted from December 2022 until February 2023 using online platforms. Data from in-depth interviews were coded using NVivo Release 1.6.1. Then thematic analysis was performed. Results Respondents indicated remuneration and career-associated factors as the main determinants, emphasizing that work-life balance, personal motivations, and the flexibility to choose the type of workplace (hospital vs. outpatient clinic) were even more important. Young doctors expect flexibility in working hours and better working conditions in future work, and these factors are important when choosing a medical specialty. Significant difficulties during the selection of medical specialty include limited residency slots in preferred specializations and lack of knowledge concerning the everyday aspects of work in a particular specialty. Conclusions Factors and limitations influencing the choice of medical specialty should be taken into account by policymakers to address the shortages of doctors in deficit specialties. Knowledge about doctors’ preferences regarding their medical specialty could support the development of targeted policies to increase the attractiveness of deficit specialties and reduce the uneven distribution of medical staff.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting young doctors’ choice of medical specialty—A qualitative study

Michalik,

Kulbat,

Domagała

2024

PLoS ONE

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“…Aljehani et al [ 29 ] show that orthopedic residents have been affected by a considerable amount of stress, and hospitals need to make recommendations in order to guide them. Career orientation is affected by gender discrimination [ 30 ], limited participation in surgery [ 31 ], and personality differences in relation to the surgeons who must train them [ 32 ]. Along with these, perspective change in professional orientation may be due to the mental state of residents during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Orthopedic Residents: A Pan-Romanian Survey

Moldovan

Gligor

Moldovan

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, with a potential stress which might affect the education of resident doctors in the field of orthopedics and traumatology. Its repercussion on the residents’ strain and training routes is not well known. After two years of pandemic, this paper aims to analyze the repercussion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on education, medical training, and the mental well-being of Romanian resident doctors in orthopedics and traumatology. In January–February 2022, an electronic questionnaire was distributed to all orthopedic resident doctors in the 12 residential training centers in Romania. Participants (n = 236) were resident doctors with an employment contract and professional activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resident doctors who did not work during this period were excluded. An online survey generator was used to electronically create the questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed in Matlab version R2022a, with the support of Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox Version 12.3. Descriptive statistics were performed for the standardized questions, while for the open questions, answers were collected by topic. The results of the Chi-square test indicate that there is a statistically significant association regarding the prevalence of infection among residents involved in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 (p = 0.028), and the influence of secondment in COVID-19 sections (p = 0.0003). The infection of residents is not related to their affiliation with a particular medical training center (p = 0.608), gender (p = 0.175), the year of study in residency (p = 0.733), the age group (p = 0.178), and the secondment period (p = 0.114). Residents who participated in the study had an overall well-being index of 13.8 ± 5.7, which indicates a low level of well-being for a large number of residents. Residents who would like to choose a new residency specialization, or would choose a non-medical career, had reduced average WHO wellness rates, as the risk of infection is associated with the treatment of patients with COVID-19 and secondment in COVID-19 sections. The findings of this study may help residency training centers to develop robust programs that can alleviate the impact of this pandemic. Some major changes will be needed to be integrated into residency training programs around the world. Emphasis should be placed on electronic educational portfolios, simulation of surgical processes, and distance learning, all of which have a high potential for health and safety,as well asfor the moral support of residents.

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“…The authors explained the phenomenon by the fact that expectations are inconsistent with reality, and also noted that a student who enters the operating room for the first time after the second year has a greater risk of abandoning plans for surgical specialization. 1 Another study included 261 Harvard students, 22% of women and 27% of men were interested in surgery. 64.7% of women and 60.7% of men stated that they were verbally discouraged from taking up surgical specialization.…”

Section: Students Are Not Interested In Surgerymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to research, medical students did not feel confident in performing manual procedures. 1,54 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, students' learning of practical skills has further deteriorated. 55 In the Skorus publication, students negatively assessed learning surgery during classes and indicated their lack of self-confidence as a factor discouraging them from choosing surgery.…”

Section: Surgical Skill Training During Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…55 In the Skorus publication, students negatively assessed learning surgery during classes and indicated their lack of self-confidence as a factor discouraging them from choosing surgery. 1 However, this is a factor that can be modified. Raising it may result in students becoming more familiar with surgical procedures, increasing their self-confidence and eliminating the fear that they will not be able to cope during the surgical residency.…”

Section: Surgical Skill Training During Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Why is surgery not popular among medical students and young doctors? - Review of literature

Daniel,

Składanek,

Leśkiewicz

et al. 2024

J Educ Health Sport

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Introduction: Contemporary medicine is witnessing significant advancements in conservative treatment modalities. However, surgery remains paramount for radical cancer treatment and emergent conditions such as trauma, peritonitis, gastrointestinal obstruction, and cholecystitis. Despite the essential role of surgeons, there is a global trend indicating waning interest among medical students in pursuing surgical specialties. Concurrently, practicing surgeons report heightened levels of professional burnout, and many regions face a looming shortage of surgical professionals, posing a threat to healthcare quality. Brief Overview of Current Knowledge: Research conducted across Poland, Germany, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and Japan highlights the declining inclination towards surgery among medical students. Students cite unattractive working conditions, poor work-life balance, elevated stress levels, and limited avenues for scholarly growth as deterrents. Gender plays a role, with females expressing heightened concerns regarding work-life balance and family aspirations. Furthermore, the surgical work environment, inadequate preparatory training in medical schools, and prolonged working hours are identified as factors exacerbating burnout risk among surgeons. Summary: Professional burnout represents a significant concern among surgeons, impacting both their work satisfaction and patient safety. Despite the strides made in conservative medical therapies, surgery remains indispensable, yet its allure as a specialty is diminishing among medical students. Understanding and addressing the discouraging factors, along with promoting healthy work practices, may mitigate burnout and encourage young physicians to consider surgical careers.

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Why do Polish medical students resign from pursuing surgical careers? A survey study

Cited by 6 publications

References 30 publications

Factors affecting young doctors’ choice of medical specialty—A qualitative study

Factors affecting young doctors’ choice of medical specialty—A qualitative study

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Orthopedic Residents: A Pan-Romanian Survey

Why is surgery not popular among medical students and young doctors? - Review of literature

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