title: Simulation experience enhances medical students' interest in cardiothoracic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Applications to cardiothoracic training programs have declined dramatically. Increased effort in recruiting trainees is paramount. In this study, we test our hypothesis that mentored instruction on cardiothoracic simulators will enhance the interest of junior medical students in cardiothoracic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  First- and second-year medical students were recruited from a "surgery interest group" to receive mentored instruction on high-fidelity cardiothoracic simulators. Before and after simulation assessment tools were used to assess attitudes toward simulation, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four medical students participated in the study. Although 80% of the students were interested in pursuing a career in surgery before the course, the majority (64%) indicated they were "neutral" about pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery. After participating in the course, 61% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they were interested in pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery (p = 0.001). When asked to select a surgical subspecialty for their third-year clerkship rotation, 18% of the students selected thoracic surgery before participating in the simulator course versus 39% after completing the course. This increase was most evident among the female participants, of whom only 3 (12%) selected a thoracic rotation before the simulator course versus 9 (35%) after completion of the course (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-fidelity surgical simulators are an effective way to introduce medical students to cardiothoracic surgery. Participation in moderated simulator sessions improves attitudes toward cardiothoracic surgery as a career choice and correlates with a greater interest in selecting thoracic surgery as a third-year clerkship rotation. The role of surgical simulation as a recruitment tool should be further delineated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. ltesche@unch.unc.edu
authors.forename: Leora J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Tesche
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Feins
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dedmon
authors.forename: Kimberly N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Haithcock
authors.forename: Nirmal K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Veeramachaneni
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bowdish
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*