A nonmetropolitan surgery clerkship increases interest in a surgical career.

Overview

BACKGROUND: The optimal way to recruit the best and brightest medical students to fill the impending shortfall of general surgeons is uncertain. METHODS: Forty-three students were placed into nonmetropolitan sites for their basic surgical clerkship over 3 years. We surveyed students and compared match trends. RESULTS: When students selected to participate in the nonmetropolitan clerkship were examined, only 22% of students reported interest in a surgical career before their clerkship. This interest in surgery increased to 63% after the nonmetropolitan clerkship, P < .05. When match numbers were examined, students who completed the nonmetropolitan clerkship were significantly more likely to match to a general surgical residency than students who completed the standard clerkship (17% vs 6%, P < .02). CONCLUSIONS: These data challenge the perception that students should remain at a teaching university for their introductory clerkships. It may be that pairing students with individual faculty, or chief residents, could increase interest in a surgical career.