Allahwasaya Ashba, Akhund Ramsha, Zmijewski Polina, Herritz Kristi, Chen Herbert, Martin Colin, Hardiman Karin, Lancaster Rachel, Gillis Andrea
Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Department of Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri.
J Surg Educ. 2025 Feb;82(2):103393. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2024.103393. Epub 2024 Dec 31.
Surgical research pipeline programs provide a unique insight into academic surgery, offering a distinctive opportunity for aspiring future surgeons and medical professionals to identify suitable mentorship. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of an academic summer research, shadowing, and mentorship program on undergraduate students with interest in the fields of medicine and surgery.
We conducted a convergent mixed methods study on undergraduate students who participated in the Surgery Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program from 2017 to 2022, excluding the 2020 cohort as their experience was highly impacted by COVID-19. SURE, program connected academic surgeons with students interested in medicine, involving them in research, lectures, and clinical shadowing. Students completed questionnaires and participated in semi-structured focus group interviews to assess the program's impact on their career goals.
Twenty-five undergraduate students completed the self-administered survey with a response rate of 51.0% and 5 participated in the focus group interviews. Among the participants, 12 (48.0%) students were currently enrolled in medical school, while an equal proportion had taken their Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and were in the process of applying to medical school. 88.0% believed that their involvement in the program significantly increased their interest in academic surgery and empowered them to pursue a career in medicine. 84.0% reported that the program helped them find the right mentorship and guidance, while 80.0% reported increased proficiency in research skills. These quantitative findings were further substantiated by qualitative data obtained through focus group interviews. From these interviews, 4 noticeable emergent themes highlighted by the participants included the significance of right mentorship, a deeper understanding of healthcare and surgical career paths, increased research literacy, and career development.
Early exposure to surgical practices and mentorship significantly enhanced the enthusiasm of undergraduate students toward a surgical career while expanding their comprehension of surgical professions. Investing in such pipeline programs can exert a positive influence on undergraduate students' perceptions of surgical careers, thereby creating new avenues of opportunity for them.
外科研究管道项目为学术外科提供了独特的视角，为有抱负的未来外科医生和医学专业人员提供了一个独特的机会，以确定合适的导师。本研究的目的是确定一个学术暑期研究、见习和导师项目对有志于医学和外科领域的本科生的影响。
我们对2017年至2022年参加外科本科研究体验（SURE）项目的本科生进行了一项收敛性混合方法研究，不包括2020届学生，因为他们的经历受到新冠疫情的严重影响。SURE项目将学术外科医生与对医学感兴趣的学生联系起来，让他们参与研究、讲座和临床见习。学生们完成问卷并参加半结构化焦点小组访谈，以评估该项目对他们职业目标的影响。
25名本科生完成了自填式调查，回复率为51.0%，5名学生参加了焦点小组访谈。在参与者中，12名（48.0%）学生目前就读于医学院，而同样比例的学生已经参加了医学院入学考试（MCAT）并正在申请医学院。88.0%的人认为他们参与该项目显著增加了他们对学术外科的兴趣，并使他们有能力追求医学事业。84.0%的人报告说该项目帮助他们找到了合适的导师和指导，而80.0%的人报告说研究技能有所提高。这些定量结果通过焦点小组访谈获得的定性数据得到了进一步证实。从这些访谈中，参与者突出的4个明显的新出现主题包括合适导师的重要性、对医疗保健和外科职业道路的更深入理解、研究素养的提高以及职业发展。
早期接触外科实践和导师指导显著增强了本科生对外科职业的热情，同时扩大了他们对外科职业的理解。投资于此类管道项目可以对本科生对外科职业的看法产生积极影响，从而为他们创造新的机会途径。
