Impact of family and gender on career goals: results of a national survey of 4586 surgery residents.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine how marriage, children, and gender influence US categorical general surgery residents' perceptions of their profession and motivations for specialty training. DESIGN: Cross-sectional national survey administered after the January 2008 American Board of Surgery In-service Training Examination. SETTING: Two hundred forty-eight US general surgery residency programs. PARTICIPANTS: All US categorical general surgery residents. INTERVENTIONS: We evaluated demographic characteristics with respect to survey responses using the chi(2) test, analysis of variance, and multivariate logistic regression. Interaction terms between variables were assessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceptions of respondents regarding the future of general surgery and the role of specialty training in relation to anticipated income and lifestyle. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 75.0% (4586 respondents). Mean age was 30.6 years; 31.7% were women, 51.3% were married, and 25.4% had children. Of the respondents, 28.7% believed general surgery is becoming obsolete (30.1% of men and 25.9% of women; P = .004), and 55.1% believed specialty training is necessary for success (56.4% of men and 52.7% of women; P = .02). Single residents and residents without children were more likely to plan for fellowship (59.1% single vs 51.9% married, P < .001; 57.0% with no children vs 50.1% with children, P < .001). In our multivariate analyses, male gender was an independent predictor of worry that general surgery is becoming obsolete (P = .003). Female residents who were single or had no children tended to identify lifestyle rather than income as a motivator for specialty training. CONCLUSION: Marital status, children, and gender appear to have a powerful effect on general surgery residents' career planning.
