title: A German survey of the abdominal transplantation surgical work force.
abstract: This manuscript reports the results of a nationwide survey of transplant surgeons in Germany, including the demographics, training, position, individual case loads, center volumes, program structure, professional practice, grade of specialization, workload, work hours, salary, and career expectations. We contacted all 32 German transplant centers that perform liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation. Surgeons engaged in transplantation were asked to reply to the survey. Eighty-five surgeons responded, with a mean age of 44 ± 8 years, 13% of whom were female. The median transplant frequency per active transplant surgeon was relatively low, with 16 liver transplants, 15 kidney transplants, and three pancreas transplants. The median reported center volumes were 45 liver transplants, 90 kidney transplants, and five pancreas transplants per year. Most of the surgeons reported a primary focus on hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery, and only 10% of effective work time was actually dedicated to perform transplant surgeries. The majority of respondents estimated their weekly work hours to be between 55 and 66 h. When asked about their career satisfaction and expectations, most respondents characterized their salaries as inappropriately low and their career prospects as inadequate. This survey provides a first impression of the transplant surgery work force in Germany.
authors: Department of General-, Visceral-, Transplantation- Vascular- and Thoracic Surgery, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.|Transplant Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors: Michael N
authors: MN
authors: Thomas
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Tuebingen University Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors: Silvio
authors: S
authors: Nadalin
authors: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, Ruprecht Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Schemmer
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Pascher
authors: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors: Gernot M
authors: GM
authors: Kaiser
authors: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Braun
authors: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Becker
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Visceral Transplantation, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: Björn
authors: B
authors: Nashan
authors: Department of General-, Visceral-, Transplantation- Vascular- and Thoracic Surgery, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.|Transplant Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Guba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D066231:Surgeons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: clinical practice; surgical career; transplant surgery