What factors during elective rotations influence undergraduates to pursue plastic surgery as a career?

Abstract

Background Plastic surgery is considered one of the most competitive specialties globally. In Saudi Arabia, it was established in 2001 in the central province (Riyadh) and then expanded in 2009 to include more eastern and western provinces. Previous research has identified several factors that impact pursuing a career in plastic surgery.Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted through a five-page, five-section questionnaire distributed among senior medical students and interns using online platforms between August 2021 and January 2022. The overall number of questions was 25, which tackled different aspects, including sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender); the duration of the elective rotation; supervisor during the elective; encouraging, discouraging, and influencing factors; and the rating of participants’ desire to become a plastic surgeon.Results After elective training, the most common factor that influenced medical students to choose a plastic surgery career was exposure to a variety of cases (favorable to agree: 80.4%), followed by involvement in clinical activities (i.e., rounding, clinics, and case presentations) (favorable to agree: 70.6%). On the contrary, the most common factor discouraging students from choosing a plastic surgery career after elective training was plastic surgery being a competitive specialty for matching (favorable to agree: 62.7%), followed by the intense workload (favorable to agree: 56.9%).Conclusions Medical students were more likely than medical interns to explore a career in plastic surgery. Exposure to a variety of cases, inspiring mentors, and a decent amount of time spent in the operating room were the most influential factors.