ArticleBMC medical education2024
Impact of medical school experiences on the career choice of neurosurgery: a cross- sectional study from Pakistan.
Article in BMC medical education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Advancing Surgical and Medical Education: Insights and Lessons from Neurosurgery in Pakistan.Asian journal of neurosurgery · 2026Review
- Perspectives of preclinical and clinical medical students on surgical specialties: a single-center cross-sectional study in Türkiye.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Factors Influencing Interns' Selection of Postgraduate Residency Programs in the United Arab Emirates.Cureus · 2025Article
- Medical student perceptions and career intentions toward neurosurgery: results from an international multicentre study.Neurosurgical review · 2025Article
- Seeing Is Believing: Real-Life 360-Degree Virtual Reality as a Catalyst for Neurosurgical Interest.Cureus · 2025Article
- A cross-sectional investigation of trend in career specialty preference among clinical year medical undergraduates, including factors influencing preferences and discouragement.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Into the Neuroscape: Perceptions of Pakistani Medical Students and Recent Graduates toward Neurosurgery.Asian journal of neurosurgery · 2024Article
- Impactful medical school experiences and choosing a career in neurosurgery: A new beginning for the national undergraduate neuroanatomy competition.Surgical neurology international · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPakistan grapples with the issue of an inadequate neurosurgery workforce but the reasons for such a disparity remain uncertain. Previous studies have highlighted how various factors including medical school experiences have an impact on career choice, but no study has delved into the impact of medical school exposure among Pakistani medical students, especially for the field of neurosurgery. This study aims to evaluate the impact of neurosurgery exposure, mentorship, and interest groups on medical students' decision to pursue neurosurgery.
methodsA national cross-sectional survey was conducted in Pakistan, collecting data from medical students, interns, and medical officers over a one-month period. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee at Aga Khan University, Pakistan. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.
resultsOut of 2618 participants, 38.0% were male and 62.0% were female, with an average age of 21.82 years (± 2.65). Among them, only 358 (13.6%) were interested in pursuing neurosurgery as a career, while the remaining 2,260 (86.3%) were not. More females (58.9%) than males (41.1%) expressed interest in pursuing neurosurgery as their intended career. Most medical students interested in pursuing neurosurgery were in the early years of their medical school (1st Year: 19.6%, 2nd Year: 26.0%, 3rd Year: 20.9%). In our study, students from public sector institutions (52.2%) showed more interest in neurosurgery as a career choice compared to those from private sector institutions (44.1%). The main deterrents for choosing neurosurgery were intense training (42.2%), work-life balance (39.9%), limited residency slots (56.7%), medical knowledge (34.1%), and surgical skills (36.6%).
conclusionThis study highlights the need for increased student engagement to inculcate the decision to pursue neurosurgery among medical students in Pakistan. A significant gap is highlighted, with the majority of interested students in early years. Public sector students show higher interest than their private sector counterparts. However, barriers like intense training, limited residency slots, and work-life balance concerns influence career choice. Targeted interventions like mentorship programs are crucial for fostering future neurosurgeons and advancing patient care and research. By addressing the identified disparities in experiences and promoting a supportive educational environment, it is possible to cultivate a future generation of skilled and dedicated neurosurgeons who can contribute to advancements in patient care and research in the field.
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