Gender-Specific Evaluation of Student's Career Planning during Medical Study in Terms of Orthopaedic Trauma

Background: Due to recent changes in the medical licencing act as well as to the introduction of a new model-course programme for medical studies, careers in medicine have become increasingly more attractive. However, there is still a dramatic shortage in younger generation physicians, especially within the surgical fields. The goal of this cross-sectional study was the gender-specific assessment of the ideal career wishes of students during medical school, with a focus being placed in orthopaedic trauma surgery. Materials and Methods: During the winter semester of 2010/2011 an online questionnaire (www.surveymonkey.com) was created for students enrolled in their 3rd to 12th semester (n = 887). The questionnaire consisted of 50 questions [Likert scale (LS); 5 = agree, 1 = disagree] along with 10 free response questions. The scope of these questions ranged from personal career goals, within the context of their learning environment, to general life goals and planning. With regard to career choice, a differentiation was made between students' ideal career choices/subjects (IS), which were based solely on personal affinity, and so-called reality-based subjects (RS), which students considered more practical and to which they were more likely to apply in the future. Results: The response rate was 36,4% (n = 323, 23,4 years, 6.3 semesters, 226 [70.0%] female [f] and 97 [30.0%] male [m]). A total of 206 students (63.8%; m = 55.7% vs. f = 66.7%; p = 0.047) were able to pinpoint an IS, this percentage increased with increasing semester number (p = 0.048). Overall, 29.1% of students indicated that their IS lay in the field of orthopaedic trauma, while 20.0% of men and 19.1% of women saw it as a realistic career path (RS). Throughout the course of their studies, from the 3rd semester to their practical year, a declining tendency was observed regarding the agreement between ideal and realistic career paths. Particularly evident was a decreasing interest in the field of orthopaedic trauma, beginning around the 9th semester and during the practical year, especially among the female student population. The reason for this shift seems multifactorial, ranging from concerns about family planning as well as the work load in a male-dominated field. By the time students enter their practical year, 13.5% of women and 15.4% of men were still certain in their choice to pursue a career in orthopaedic trauma (RS). Conclusions: It seems that there is great interest in the fields of orthopaedic trauma among both female and male students in the middle portion of their studies. Women, especially, tend to prefer a specialisation in this operative field early in the course of their studies. However, this pool of potential successors decreases dramatically with time, due to personal experiences garnered on the wards, expectations regarding career paths (male-dominated, long hours) as well as concerns about family planning. The most dramatic shift seems to occur during the practical year.