Does the amount of time medical students spend in the operating room during the general surgery core clerkship affect their career decision?

Thomas M Hagopian; Gerardo A Vitiello; Alexandra M Hart; Sebastian D Perez; John F Sweeney; Barbara J Pettitt

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2014.10.031

Does the amount of time medical students spend in the operating room during the general surgery core clerkship affect their career decision?

Am J Surg. 2015 Jul;210(1):167-72. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2014.10.031. Epub 2015 Mar 28.

Authors

Thomas M Hagopian¹, Gerardo A Vitiello², Alexandra M Hart³, Sebastian D Perez³, John F Sweeney³, Barbara J Pettitt⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Office of Surgical Education, 1364 Clifton Road, NE, Room H121, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Office of Surgical Education, 1364 Clifton Road, NE, Room H121, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
³ Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Office of Surgical Education, 1364 Clifton Road, NE, Room H121, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
⁴ Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Office of Surgical Education, 1364 Clifton Road, NE, Room H121, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: bpettit@emory.edu.

PMID: 25907851
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2014.10.031

Abstract

Background: The amount of time medical students (MS) spend in the operating room (OR) during their general surgery core clerkship has not been previously studied as a predictor for choosing a career in surgery. We hypothesize that MS choosing a career in surgery spend more time in the OR.

Methods: Operative records for surgery cases at our institution from 2009 to 2013 were linked to the schedules of MS from classes of 2010 to 2014. Total number of minutes, cases, and average number of minutes in the OR were calculated and compared with the match lists. Univariate analysis was conducted to assess for associations (P < .05).

Results: A total of 117 students and 1,524 procedures were included. Twenty-two MS chose a surgical career (19%). An average of 2,018.5 minutes per rotation was spent in the OR (81.2 min/d), but neither the amount of time nor the number of cases was associated with choosing a career in surgery.

Conclusions: Quality of the educational experience trumps quantity regarding what most influences MS career decision.

Keywords: Laparoscopic surgery; Medical students; Operating rooms; Operative time; University hospitals.

MeSH terms

Career Choice*
Clinical Clerkship / statistics & numerical data*
Female
General Surgery / education*
Humans
Male
Operating Rooms / statistics & numerical data*
Retrospective Studies
Students, Medical*
Time Factors