Surgeons underestimate their influence on medical students entering surgery.
BACKGROUND
Positive surgical role models influence medical students to pursue a career in surgery. However, the perception by role models of their own effectiveness has yet to be examined. In this study, we evaluated the influence of surgical role models on medical student career choice, and how these role models perceive themselves.


METHODS
We distributed a voluntary and anonymous survey to third-year medical students, general surgery resident applicants, general surgery residents, and attending surgery faculty during the 2010-2011 academic year. We performed statistical analysis using the chi-square and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests (P < 0.05 was significant).


RESULTS
Medical students and resident applicants agreed that faculty and residents are important in shaping the career paths of students. The applicants were more likely to agree than were students that clerkship role models (P = 0.0049) and mentors (P = 0.0035) affected their interest in surgery. The applicants were also more likely to agree than the students that attending surgeons (P = 0.0004), senior (P = 0.0019) and junior (P = 0.0028) surgery residents served as positive role models. Although the surgical faculty and residents agreed with the students that each level of the surgical team served as positive role models, they did not agree as strongly with the students that they have an important role in shaping students' career path (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical faculty and residents serve as positive role models for medical students. They have an essential role in shaping students' career paths and should be more cognizant of their influence, which may draw a student toward or lead them away from the field of surgery.
Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. cutlerquillin@gmail.com
Ralph C
RC
Quillin
Timothy A
TA
Pritts
Bradley R
BR
Davis
Dennis
D
Hanseman
Jocelyn M
JM
Collins
Krishna P
KP
Athota
Michael J
MJ
Edwards
Amit D
AD
Tevar
D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult