Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32812116›Full record

ArticleIrish journal of medical science2021

The future of general surgery in Ireland: factors influencing career decisions of medical students.

Kevin Gerard Corless, Amir Samy, Ahmed Kamil, Eanna J Ryan, Lidia Shafik, Kirolos Bassily, A Basil Ali, Kaitlynn O'Brien, Aisling Maria Hogan

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Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Kevin Gerard CorlessDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland. kcorless123@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5269-6332
Amir SamyDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Ahmed KamilDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Eanna J RyanDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Lidia ShafikMedical School, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Kirolos BassilyMedical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
A Basil AliMedical School, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Kaitlynn O'BrienMedical School, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Aisling Maria HoganDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe decline in popularity of general surgery as a career has been well described. A number of factors have been put forward to explain this, for example, trainee burnout and perceived difficulty with work/life balance. The aim of this study was to elucidate the reasons for this among medical students in Ireland.

methodA questionnaire was distributed to clinical year medical students in Ireland using an online survey via SurveyMonkey™. Domains assessed included demographics, career plan and associated rationale. Anonymised responses were collated and evaluated.

resultsThere were 307 responses (response 23%). Females accounted for 66% (202). Mean age was 24 years (SD = 2.89). One hundred twelve responses (36%) were contemplating becoming surgeons. One hundred nine-five responses were not considering surgery: however 87 had previously considered. Of the 87, 41 (47%) attributed the decision to work/life balance, 30 (35%) to impact on personal relationships and 10 (11%) blamed unclear career projection. Students interested in surgery were asked to quantify their knowledge of the application process-17 (15%) good, 39 (35%) fair and 56 (50%) poor.

conclusionA small proportion of respondents plan to pursue a career in general surgery. This is concerning in view of attrition rates through junior years. Although lifestyle factors are significant, clarity regarding training pathways was also reported. Undergraduate education regarding career trajectory, quality of life and practicalities of a career in general surgery may increase applications.

Indexed as

Career ChoiceAdultEducation, MedicalFemaleGeneral SurgeryHumansIrelandMaleStudents, MedicalSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultGeneral surgeryMedical studentsSurgical educationSurgical training

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.