Harvesting the ‘SEAD’: Long-Term Follow-Up of the Surgical Exploration and Discovery Program

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.