2024 Volume 73 Issue 2 Pages 79-84
The number of surgeons is declining. There are various attempts to increase aspiring surgeons nationwide. We have incorporated surgical training into our university’s official curriculum, and each clinical department has tried to hold a surgical seminar where medical students and residents can practice surgical techniques. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey in the surgical seminar. This study aimed to find ways to increase the number of students and residents who want to become surgeons and to help them decide on a career path.
Students and residents who were interested in surgery were surveyed about their reasons for applying to surgery and their image of it. It was suggested that clinical practice, especially the exposure to the actual operation, was the most significant opportunity to determine a career path in surgery. Early exposure to surgery before admission to medical school or clinical practice may also increase a student’s desire to pursue the specialty as a career. Many students and residents felt that surgery was rewarding, but some had negative images of it even though they applied for it. It is the future work to support their career path without letting them drop out of the surgical course.
