TY - JOUR
T1 - An undergraduate surgery interest group
T2 - Introducing premedical students to the practice of surgery
AU - Vakayil, Victor
AU - Chandrashekar, Malavika
AU - Hedberg, Jack
AU - Bauman, Brent D.
AU - Malik, Shray
AU - Yerxa, Derek
AU - Hendrickson, Lois G.
AU - Kernahan, Peter
AU - Hadley, Megan E.
AU - Harmon, James V.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Vakayil et al.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Purpose: Early exposure and surgical mentorship can augment interest in surgery. We evaluate the effect and feasibility of offering education and mentorship opportunities in surgery to premedical students at our institution through an undergraduate surgery interest group (USIG).Materials and Methods: We conducted a 1-year assessment of our USIG and reviewed its organizational structure, funding resources, media promotion, and educational activities. Our USIG hosted introductory-level surgical skills workshops, guest lectures by surgeons, and various facility tours. To assess participants' interests, as well as the influences on them to pursue a surgical profession, we analyzed pre- and post-event questionnaires. Similar questionnaires were completed by medical students in our medical student surgery interest group to compare any differences in perception between premedical and medical students.Results: Our USIG currently has 378 undergraduate student members, with a higher proportion of women than in our medical student surgery interest group (
P < 0.003). Neurosurgery was the most popular career choice among undergraduate participants. Participants reported the highest satisfaction with suturing and high-fidelity trauma surgery skills workshops. Undergraduate participants indicated that their intrinsic interest in the sciences is the highest motivation to pursue a surgical profession. Resident lifestyle and social obligations of a surgical career were actually positive influences for undergraduate participants; in contrast, medical students viewed those variables as negative factors.
Conclusion: Our USIG was met with enthusiasm by premedical students and faculty alike. Participation strengthened premedical students' interest in pursuing surgery and increased their understanding of the surgical profession. Early mentorship may positively influence premedical students' perception of surgical careers. USIG is economically feasible and time-efficient; we encourage other academic institutions and educators to consider investing in similar interest groups.
AB - Purpose: Early exposure and surgical mentorship can augment interest in surgery. We evaluate the effect and feasibility of offering education and mentorship opportunities in surgery to premedical students at our institution through an undergraduate surgery interest group (USIG).Materials and Methods: We conducted a 1-year assessment of our USIG and reviewed its organizational structure, funding resources, media promotion, and educational activities. Our USIG hosted introductory-level surgical skills workshops, guest lectures by surgeons, and various facility tours. To assess participants' interests, as well as the influences on them to pursue a surgical profession, we analyzed pre- and post-event questionnaires. Similar questionnaires were completed by medical students in our medical student surgery interest group to compare any differences in perception between premedical and medical students.Results: Our USIG currently has 378 undergraduate student members, with a higher proportion of women than in our medical student surgery interest group (
P < 0.003). Neurosurgery was the most popular career choice among undergraduate participants. Participants reported the highest satisfaction with suturing and high-fidelity trauma surgery skills workshops. Undergraduate participants indicated that their intrinsic interest in the sciences is the highest motivation to pursue a surgical profession. Resident lifestyle and social obligations of a surgical career were actually positive influences for undergraduate participants; in contrast, medical students viewed those variables as negative factors.
Conclusion: Our USIG was met with enthusiasm by premedical students and faculty alike. Participation strengthened premedical students' interest in pursuing surgery and increased their understanding of the surgical profession. Early mentorship may positively influence premedical students' perception of surgical careers. USIG is economically feasible and time-efficient; we encourage other academic institutions and educators to consider investing in similar interest groups.
KW - Career choice
KW - Mentorship
KW - Premedical education
KW - Premedical vs medical
KW - Surgical education
KW - Surgical skills
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U2 - 10.2147/AMEP.S245234
DO - 10.2147/AMEP.S245234
M3 - Article
C2 - 32494212
AN - SCOPUS:85097743000
SN - 1179-7258
VL - 11
SP - 339
EP - 349
JO - Advances in medical education and practice
JF - Advances in medical education and practice
ER -