Natalie C McClintock1, Kelsey E Gray2, Angela L Neville3, Amy H Kaji4, Mary M Wolfe5, Kristine E Calhoun6, Farin F Amersi7, Timothy R Donahue8, Tracey D Arnell9, Benjamin T Jarman10, Kenji Inaba11, Marc L Melcher12, Jon B Morris13, Brian R Smith14, Mark E Reeves15, Jeffrey M Gauvin16, Edgardo S Salcedo17, Richard A Sidwell18, Daniel L Dent19, Kenric M Murayama20, Richard B Damewood21, Venkateswara P Poola22, Christian M de Virgilio23. 1. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA. Electronic address: nmcclintock@dhs.lacounty.gov. 2. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA. Electronic address: kgray@dhs.lacounty.gov. 3. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA. Electronic address: aneville@dhs.lacounty.gov. 4. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA. Electronic address: akaji@emedharbor.edu. 5. University of California San Francisco at Fresno, 2823 Fresno St, Fresno, CA, 93721, USA. Electronic address: mwolfemd@communitymedical.org. 6. University of Washington, 825 Eastlake Ave, E Seattle, WA, 98109, USA. Electronic address: calhounk@uw.edu. 7. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. Electronic address: farin.amersi@cshs.org. 8. University of California Los Angeles, 200 UCLA Medical Plaza Ste 214, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. Electronic address: tdonahue@mednet.ucla.edu. 9. Columbia University, 177 Fort Washington Ave Floor 7, New York, NY, 10032, USA. Electronic address: ta2107@cumc.columbia.edu. 10. Gundersen Health System, La Crosse Clinic, Level 5, 1900 South Ave, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA. Electronic address: btjarman@gundersenhealth.org. 11. University of Southern California, 1520 San Pablo St, HCT-4300, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. Electronic address: kenji.inaba@med.usc.edu. 12. Stanford University Medical Center, 750 Welch Rd, Ste 200 MC 5785, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA. Electronic address: melcherm@stanford.edu. 13. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, 4 Silverstein, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. Electronic address: jon.morris@uphs.upenn.edu. 14. University of California Irvine, 333 City Blvd, West, Ste 1600, Orange, CA, 92868, USA. Electronic address: smithbr@uci.edu. 15. Loma Linda University Health, 11175 Campus St, #21108, Loma Linda, CA, 92354, USA. Electronic address: mereeves@llu.edu. 16. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, 400 W Pueblo St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA. Electronic address: jgauvin@sbch.org. 17. University of California Davis, 2315 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA. Electronic address: esalcedo@ucdavis.edu. 18. Iowa Methodist Medical Center, 1415 Woodland Ave, Ste 140, Des Moines, IA, 50309, USA. Electronic address: rsidwell@iowaclinic.com. 19. University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr MC7740, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA. Electronic address: dent@uthscsa.edu. 20. John A. Burns School of Medicine at University of Hawaii, 1356 Lusitana St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA. Electronic address: kenricm@hawaii.edu. 21. York Hospital, 1001 S George St, York, PA, 17403, USA. Electronic address: rdamewood@wellspan.org. 22. Southern Illinois University, 315 W, Carpenter St, Springfield, IL, 62702, USA. Electronic address: ppoola@siumed.edu. 23. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA. Electronic address: cdevirgilio@labiomed.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although most surgery residents pursue fellowships, data regarding those decisions are limited. This study describes associations with interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties. METHODS: Anonymous surveys were distributed to 607 surgery residents at 19 US programs. Subspecialties were stratified by levels of burnout and quality of life using data from recent studies. RESULTS: 407 (67%) residents responded. 372 (91.4%) planned to pursue fellowship. Fellowship interest was lower among residents who attended independent or small programs, were married, or had children. Residents who received AOA honors or were married were less likely to choose high burnout subspecialties (trauma/vascular). Residents with children were less likely to choose low quality of life subspecialties (trauma/transplant/cardiothoracic). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery residents' interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties are associated with program type and size, AOA status, marital status, and having children. Variability in burnout and quality of life between subspecialties may affect residents' decisions.
BACKGROUND: Although most surgery residents pursue fellowships, data regarding those decisions are limited. This study describes associations with interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties. METHODS: Anonymous surveys were distributed to 607 surgery residents at 19 US programs. Subspecialties were stratified by levels of burnout and quality of life using data from recent studies. RESULTS: 407 (67%) residents responded. 372 (91.4%) planned to pursue fellowship. Fellowship interest was lower among residents who attended independent or small programs, were married, or had children. Residents who received AOA honors or were married were less likely to choose high burnout subspecialties (trauma/vascular). Residents with children were less likely to choose low quality of life subspecialties (trauma/transplant/cardiothoracic). CONCLUSIONS: Surgery residents' interest in fellowship and specific subspecialties are associated with program type and size, AOA status, marital status, and having children. Variability in burnout and quality of life between subspecialties may affect residents' decisions.