Survival of the Grittiest? Consultant Surgeons Are Significantly Grittier Than Their Junior Trainees

Abstract

"Grit" can be defined as the passion and perseverance for long-term goals, and it can be measured by a validated scale. It has been associated with success in diverse fields such as basic military training and spelling tests. Surgical training is arduous with large number of trainees reporting burnout, and it could be expected that grit is a fundamental requirement to complete training. This study aimed to examine the relationship of grit in surgical training, whether grit varies by grade of surgeon, and the association of grit with burnout. This was a prospective survey-based study, using the validated tools Short Grit Scale and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. UK-based ear, nose, and throat doctors based in secondary care were invited to participate. Ear, nose, and throat surgeons were used as the sample population, with subgroups of core trainees (core surgical trainees), specialist registrars (higher surgical training), and consultants. A total of 102 participants completed the study (33 core surgical trainees, 49 mid-career trainees in higher surgical training, and 22 consultants). Consultants were significantly grittier than trainees (p < 0.05). Grit had a significant inverse relationship with burnout (r = -0.54, p < 0.05). There was a nonsignificant trend of reduced burnout in consultants. Age and sex were not associated with grit or burnout. These findings reinforce the concept that grit is fundamentally important to completion of surgical training. In addition, grittier individuals are more likely to resist burnout than their less gritty counterparts. These findings carry implications for retention and recruitment of trainee surgeons, and further study is required to investigate whether surgical training influences grit levels or selects out the grittiest trainees to survive to completion.