Multicentre study on factors affecting the gynaecologic oncology career choice of canadian residents in obstetrics and gynaecology.
BACKGROUND
The provision of optimal care for women with gynaecologic cancer may be threatened due to the changing demographics of patients and the projected increasing shortage of gynaecologic oncologists in Canada. We evaluated the career plans of Canadian residents in obstetrics and gynaecology to determine the proportion of residents currently considering a career in gynaecologic oncology (GO) and to explore factors that may affect their career decisions.


METHODS
Following institutional ethics approval, all residents at 13 participating Canadian obstetrics and gynaecology residency training programs were contacted by email to complete a 20-item confidential questionnaire examining career plans. Quantitative data were analyzed using SAS v9.1. Qualitative data were coded by theme and grouped into various domains.


RESULTS
Of 293 residents, 105 (36%) participated. More than half of these were considering at least one obstetrics and gynaecology subspecialty, but 53% indicated that their most appealing career path was general obstetrics and gynaecology. Although 50% of residents had ever considered a career in GO, only 17% were considering a GO career at the time of the survey. When rated as positive influences, medical school exposure, resident exposure, role models within GO, colleagues, other health care professionals, "my individual life circumstances," "my personal attributes," the clinical, research, and educational components of GO, the GO patient population, and relation with gynaecologic oncologists and other specialists were significant predictors of current GO interest. Themes that emerged from qualitative analysis revealed that the clinical, professional, and research domains were predominant influences among residents currently considering a career in GO.


CONCLUSIONS
GO is an infrequent career choice for Canadian residents in obstetrics and gynaecology, and a number of factors significantly affect GO career decisions. Modifying factors such as educational experiences, work environment, and current practice models may lead to improved recruitment to the subspecialty, which is crucial for meeting the future needs of women with gynaecologic malignancies in Canada.
Division of Gynaecologic Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.
Jason E
JE
Dodge
Hannah H
HH
Chiu
Sharon
S
Fung
Barry P
BP
Rosen
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*