Working conditions and trainee shortage in operative disciplines—is our profession ready for the next decade?

Abstract

Increasing concern has been expressed worldwide on the problem of finding young doctors to enter a training programme in an operative speciality. A survey comprising 22 questions on working conditions and job satisfaction was placed on the homepage of the Austrian Society of Surgery; 667 questionnaires were completed. The question whether surgery is threatened by a trainee shortage was answered with "yes" by 68%. Only 37% were satisfied with their working conditions. The majority (61%) specified documentation as making up between 20% and 40% of their workload, 22.5% estimated an even higher percentage. Only 17.7% were satisfied with payment. A clear majority works 60 to 80 h per week or more. Only 32.5% stated that they can leave the hospital in the morning after weekend duty; for night duty during the week, this percentage decreased to just 4.2%. As for surgical training, 33.3% were satisfied. Regular assessments between the trainees and their department heads were confirmed by only 34%. A clear majority (96%) is in favour of rotations in other hospitals during residency for the sake of broader experience. Working hour restrictions are essential, but not enough: Substantial improvements in the professional profile and in training are required.