Factors influencing the choice of surgery as a future career among medical students: a cross- sectional multi-institutional study in Edo State, Nigeria

Background: There are concerns in some countries about a possible decline in interest among medical students in pursuing a career in surgery. Exploring ways to stimulate interest in surgery to address this issue is important. Our study aimed to assess the level of interest in a surgical career and the factors influencing medical students’ career choices. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among medical students in the three clinical years at three medical schools in Edo State, southern Nigeria, using a structured online questionnaire. We obtained information on the students’ sociodemographic characteristics, the popularity of surgery as a career choice and the factors that influence their decisions on a surgical career. The associations between categorical variables were determined using the chi-square test, with the significance level set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 828 out of 1091 eligible students participated in the study with a response rate of 75.9%. There were 390 (47.1%) males and 438 (52.9%) females, with a mean age of 23.25 ± 3.02 years. Among the participants, 413 (49.9%) were in year 4, 208 (25.1%) in year 5, and 207 (25%) in year 6. Overall, 47.5% of the students were interested in pursuing a surgical career, with general surgery (15.5%) and cardiothoracic and vascular surgery (15.3%) being the most popular choices. The reasons for considering surgery included the practical application of skills (94.7%), intellectual stimulation (93.1%), and immediate patient improvement (77.1%). Concerns about the busy lifestyle of surgeons (78.2%) and the lengthy duration of surgical training (63%) were major deterrents. Males were more inclined towards surgery than females (54.7% vs. 45.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Surgery is a popular choice for postgraduate medical training, with many students willing to consider general surgery as a future career choice. Factors such as hands-on work, academic interest, and immediate patient improvement were important considerations for selecting surgery, while concerns about the lifestyle of surgeons deterred some students.