IP169. Vascular Surgery Trainees Should Have Formal Career Planning

Abstract

Most graduating vascular surgery trainees are well trained in the art of taking care of patients with vascular disease. However, these trainees are often inexperienced in navigating the initial job search. We sought to define the depth of the deficiency in trainees’ preparation for graduating and finding a professional position. A link to an anonymous electronic survey was e-mailed to all Vascular Surgery Program Directors (VSPDs) regarding their opinions on trainees’ needs for career planning. VSPDs were e-mailed a link to a related anonymous electronic survey that could be forwarded to their trainees. From May to July 2016, there were 50 VSPDs who responded for a survey response rate of 46%. The majority of VSPDs (n = 27 [54%]) train only fellows (5 + 2), whereas 8 (16%) train only integrated residents (5 + 2) and 15 VSPDs train both fellows and residents. Thirty-seven VSPDs (74%) responded that a formal job search program would be a valuable tool for graduates, but only 4% (n = 2) had such a plan within their program. Thirteen graduating trainees responded during the last week of June 2016. The majority of respondents were fellows (n = 9 [69%]) and male (n = 9 [69%]) with an average age of 33.4 years. The majority (n = 11 [84.6%]) had a signed contract at the time of the survey. However, the majority (n = 10 [76.9%]) also thought that they did not get adequate guidance in the process of finding a job, and 92.3% (n = 12) thought a formal job search program would have been beneficial. Most trainees in vascular surgery do not think they are prepared well for the process of finding their first professional position out of training. Whereas most trainees are able to find a position by graduation, both VSPDs and trainees believe that more a more formal career search program would be beneficial.