title: Can I cut it? Medical students' perceptions of surgeons and surgical careers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent years have seen a significant drop in applications to surgical residencies. Existing research has yet to explain how medical students make career decisions. This qualitative study explores students' perceptions of surgery and surgeons, and the influence of stereotypes on career decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory questionnaires captured students' perceptions of surgeons and surgery. Questionnaire data informed individual interviews, exploring students' perceptions in depth. Rigorous qualitative interrogation of interviews identified emergent themes from which a cohesive analysis was synthesized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents held uniform stereotypes of surgeons as self-confident and intimidating; surgery was competitive, masculine, and required sacrifice. To succeed in surgery, students felt they must fit these stereotypes, excluding those unwilling, or who felt unable, to conform. Deviating from the stereotypes required displaying such characteristics to a level exceptional even for surgery; consequently, surgery was neither an attractive nor realistic career option.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strong stereotypes of surgery deterred students from a surgical career. As a field, surgery must actively engage medical students to encourage participation and dispel negative stereotypes that are damaging recruitment into surgery.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Manchester Medical School, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: hille@wudosis.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Elspeth J R
authors.initials: EJR
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Manchester Medical School, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Renée E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Stalmeijer
authors.affiliation: Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dornan
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D002321:Career Choice; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D013240:Stereotyping; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D066231:Surgeons / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Career choice; Careers; Medical students; Recruitment; Stereotypes; Surgical careers