Surgical Exploration and Discovery Program: Early Exposure to Surgical Subspecialties and Its Influence on Student Perceptions of a Surgical Career

OBJECTIVE Interest in pursuing a surgical career has been declining among North American medical students. Numerous factors are known to influence student interest in pursuing surgery as a career, such as prestige, income potential, and overall lifestyle. Given that many of these factors are rooted in bias, it may be possible to properly address several of these stereotypes through first-hand, early exposure to the field of surgery via the Surgical Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) Program. The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to investigate whether participation in an intensive, 2-week surgical program may alter student opinion, bias, and/or preconceived assumptions of a career in surgery, and (2) to determine whether these changes in perception, if present, has an impact on student interest in pursuing a surgical career compared to baseline. DESIGN This was a prospective cohort study. The analysis cohort consisted of 30 first-year medical students who participated in the 2-week SEAD program. The control group consisted of 29 first-year medical students who did not participate in the SEAD program. Both the SEAD and control groups completed two surveys: (1) an entry survey distributed prior to the start of the SEAD program, and (2) an exit survey distributed upon completion of the SEAD program. The surveys were designed to assess students’ motivations for choosing a specialty in medicine, previous surgical experience, as well as perceptions and biases surrounding a surgical career, pre- and post-exposure. SETTING Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS 30 medical students in the SEAD group, and 29 in the control group. RESULTS Students’ perceptions of the lifestyle, call schedule as a staff or resident, diversity of practice and gender changed significantly following the SEAD program compared to students in the control group. Furthermore, students’ perceptions of surgeons as intimidating declined following the 2-week program (p = 0.003), however they were more likely to view surgery as a field requiring physical strength (p = 0.022). Overall, there was no significant change with regards to desire to pursue a career in surgery in the treatment group (p = 0.625) or in the control group (p = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS Early exposure to surgery through the SEAD program alters student perceptions of surgical specialties, yet it does not significantly influence students to pursue a career in the surgical field. Nonetheless, participation in the SEAD program continues to assist medical students with career decision making.