title: Workforce shortage for general surgeons: results from the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Track (SSAT) surgeon shortage survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Population shifts among surgeons and the general populous will contribute to a predicted general surgeon shortage by 2020. The Public Policy and Advocacy Committee of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract designed and conducted a survey to assess perceptions and possible solutions from important stakeholders: practicing surgeons of the society, general surgery residents, and medical students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responses from 1,208 participants: 658 practicing surgeons, 183 general surgery residents, and 367 medical students, were analyzed. There was a strong perception of a current and future surgeon shortage. The majority of surgeons (59.3 %) and residents (64.5 %) perceived a current general surgeon shortage, while 28.6 % of medical students responded the same. When asked of a perceived general surgery shortage in 20 years, 82.4, 81.4, and 51 % said "yes", respectively. There were generational differences in responses to contributors and solutions for the impending shortage. Surgeons placed a high value on improving reimbursement, tort reform, and surgeon burnout, while residents held a strong interest in a national loan forgiveness program and improving lifestyle barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our survey offers insight into possible solutions to ward off a surgeon shortage that should be addressed with programmatic changes in residency training and by reform of the national health care system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA, reidlombardo.kmarie@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: K Marie
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Reid-Lombardo
authors.forename: Charity Celeste
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: Stuart G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liesinger
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D066231:Surgeons / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult