Factors Influencing Interest in General Surgery Among Medical Students: The Role of Discouragement and Sex Differences.

BACKGROUND

Interest in surgical careers is shaped by personal and contextual factors. Although women represent a growing proportion of medical students, they remain underrepresented in surgical specialties. This study evaluated factors influencing interest in General Surgery among medical students, with a particular focus on discouragement and sex differences.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Brazilian medical students using an anonymous electronic questionnaire distributed through social media. Students who reported General Surgery as their initial specialty choice were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, experiences of discouragement, sources and reasons for discouragement, and factors influencing specialty choice were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among 706 respondents, 82 students (11.6%) reported General Surgery as their initial specialty choice. Overall, 65.9% reported experiencing discouragement regarding a surgical career. Women were significantly more likely to report discouragement than men (78.2% vs 40.7%, p < 0.001), and female sex remained independently associated with discouragement after adjustment for age, type of medical school, and having a physician in the family (adjusted odds ratio 5.62, 95% CI 1.96-16.09, p = 0.001). Among women who reported discouragement, 62.8% indicated that at least one discouraging message was explicitly related to their sex. Family members or friends were the most frequently reported sources of discouragement (70.4%). Extracurricular activities were the only factor influencing specialty choice that differed significantly between sexes (p = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

Interest in General Surgery is frequently accompanied by discouragement, particularly among women. Positive exposure to surgery through extracurricular experiences may represent an important avenue for supporting sustained interest in surgical careers.