title: Inspiring tomorrow's surgeons: the benefits of student surgical society membership☆?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the perceived value of medical school student surgical society membership and its effect on determining future career aspirations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three UK medical school student surgical societies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undergraduate and postgraduate students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 119 students, 60 (50.4%) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 62.3% indicated that the surgical society had increased their awareness and knowledge about the different surgical specialties. Of the respondents who had decided on a career in surgery before joining the society, 67.6% stated that participating in society events had better prepared them for the career. Plastic surgery (13.3%), general surgery (11.7%), and neurosurgery (11.7%) were the 3 most popular specialties for future careers. Surgical skills workshops (21.9%), conferences (21.1%), and careers talks (16.4%) were chosen by students as the most useful career-guiding events organized by surgical societies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in medical school surgical societies is perceived as a valuable part of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in aiding students to decide on future careers.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: rele.ologunde09@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ologunde
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sohaib R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rufai
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Angeline H Y
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical; D066231:Surgeons
keywords: Medical Knowledge; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; continuing professional development; medical students; surgery; training