Women's interest in surgery as a career in the early postgraduate period: a national longitudinal study

Background Women remain underrepresented in Surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ). This study described interest in surgical careers by gender in the early postgraduate period and associated influencing factors. Methods AoNZ medical graduates between 2012 and 2016 responding to an Exit Questionnaire (EQ) at graduation and 3 years later (PGY3) as part of the Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project (MSOD) were included. Analyses of specialty preferences and influences by gender were performed. Results Of 992 participants, 58% were women. At EQ, 158 participants (16%) had a surgical preference: 21% of men and 14% of women (P < 0.01). By PGY3, this was 20% of men and 10% of women (P < 0.01). A logistic regression found women were half as likely as men to have a surgical preference at PGY3. Those with a surgical preference at EQ were over 23 times more likely to have a surgical preference at PGY3, irrespective of gender. There were significant differences in self-reported career influencing factors between women and men at EQ and PGY3, as well as between PGY3 women with a surgical and those with a non-surgical preference. These included nature of the specialty, training requirements, lifestyle, family and personal factors. Conclusions Increasing the proportion of women in Surgery requires a multifaceted approach starting during medical school and continuing through early postgraduate years. More needs to be done to make surgical experiences as an undergraduate and junior doctor appealing to women.