Understanding UK medical students' perspectives on a career in cardiothoracic surgery.

Autor:	Axiaq A; School of Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom., Visser RAB; School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire, United Kingdom., Shirke M; School of Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom., Khashkhusha A; School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom., Zaidi S; King's College London, London, United Kingdom., Pillay R; Bart's and the London School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom., Goulden CJ; Imperial College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom., Harky A; Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.; Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	JTCVS open [JTCVS Open] 2021 Sep 02; Vol. 8, pp. 509-517. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Sep 02 (Print Publication: 2021).
DOI:	10.1016/j.xjon.2021.08.035
Abstrakt:	Objectives: The UK postgraduate training program in cardiothoracic surgery is challenging and competitive, with trainees choosing the field for different reasons. This study aims to identify factors that influence medical students in pursuing a career within cardiothoracic surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in which a questionnaire was anonymously filled out by medical students across 17 medical schools in the United Kingdom. An online survey platform was used for survey distribution and analysis. A mixed-methods approach was employed to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Data collection consisted of a series of closed questions and 1 open-ended question. The questions focused on the attitudes toward, knowledge of, and exposure to cardiothoracic surgery. Results: The survey yielded 265 responses. Interest in cardiothoracic surgery was seen in 45.3% of participants, with the leading factor for pursuing this career being lifestyle factors (50%), closely followed by the career opportunities (42.9%) and the aid of mentors (31%). Some discouraging factors were: Difficulty of learning material (37.7%), length of the training program (27.4%), competition in the field (26%), stress (24.3%), and lifestyle factors (22.1%). Conclusions: Whilst UK medical schools try to provide an introduction to specialties like cardiothoracic surgery, there remains a proportion of medical students who do not have access to opportunities needed to make a balanced career decision. Additionally, individual circumstances and aspirations tend to change from students' first year of study to their final year, which can alter their perceptions about the field. (© 2021 The Author(s).)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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