title: The impact of gender on the choice of surgery as a career.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the survey was to examine factors affecting career choice by medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was distributed to the 245 fourth-year students at the University of Toronto, sampling qualities of importance in specialties, the importance of role models, attitudes toward surgery, and specialty match results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 69% return rate. Males were more likely to choose a surgical career than were females (27% versus 10%, respectively; P = 0.01). Males were more likely to identify technical challenge, earning potential, and prestige (P < 0.01) whereas females were more likely to identify residency conditions, part-time work, and parental leave availability as important qualities in a specialty (P < 0.01). Females were less likely to take surgical electives (P < 0.001) and more likely to identify a lack of role models (P < 0.003). Students agreed that surgeons have rewarding careers (79%) and earn more (64%); however, they do not agree that surgeons enjoy spending time with patients (10%) or have rewarding family lives (5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fewer females than males were found to consider or choose a surgical career, possibly due to differences in qualities of importance in specialties, availability of role models, and exposure through electives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McLeod
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008611:Mentors; D009042:Motivation; D009864:Ontario; D010822:Physicians, Women; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires