Duhm Lina, Wittek Agnes, Plöger Ruben, Haverkamp Nicolas, Marinova Milka, Strizek Brigitte, Recker Florian
Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Office of the Dean of Studies, Faculty of Medicine Bonn, Rhenish-Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2025 Mar 5;85(3):333-343. doi: 10.1055/a-2500-0078. eCollection 2025 Mar.
There is a global shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYN), raising concerns about patient care and workforce sustainability. Germany faces a particularly acute shortage, exacerbated by the impending retirement of many senior consultants. This study explores the career perceptions of graduate-entry medical students at the University of Bonn, focusing on their attitudes toward a career in OB/GYN.
A cohort of fifth year medical students (n = 213) participated in this study. Surveys were administered directly via QR codes at two points in the 10th semester: pre-rotation (pre-clerkship) and post-rotation, at the time of the OSCE (OSCE = objective structured clinical examination) in OB/GYN. The questionnaires assessed multiple dimensions of students' career preferences, understanding of the specialty, and the impact of clinical exposure on their perceptions. Statistical analyses, including McNemar's test, were performed to evaluate changes in students' perspectives.
The findings revealed that prior to clinical exposure, only 32% of students expressed interest in a career in OB/GYN. After completing the rotation, this interest remained unchanged. Notably, concerns about night shifts increased significantly post-rotation, with 75% of students citing it as a key deterrent. Furthermore, financial considerations gained importance, with 54% of students highlighting future income as a critical factor post-rotation compared to 43% pre-rotation. Despite improved understanding of OB/GYN following hands-on experience, concerns about workload and stress persisted.
While clinical exposure increased students' knowledge of OB/GYN, it did not significantly affect their interest in the specialty, likely due to concerns about work-life balance and the demanding nature of the field. The study underscores the need for reforms in OB/GYN training and practice environments to address these deterrents and improve recruitment into this essential specialty.
全球妇产科医生短缺，引发了对患者护理和劳动力可持续性的担忧。德国面临着尤为严重的短缺，许多资深顾问即将退休使情况更加恶化。本研究探讨了波恩大学本科入学医学生的职业认知，重点关注他们对妇产科职业的态度。
一组五年级医学生（n = 213）参与了本研究。在第十学期的两个时间点通过二维码直接进行调查：在妇产科客观结构化临床考试（OSCE）时的轮转前（见习前）和轮转后。问卷评估了学生职业偏好的多个维度、对该专业的理解以及临床接触对其认知的影响。进行了包括 McNemar 检验在内的统计分析，以评估学生观点的变化。
研究结果显示，在临床接触之前，只有32%的学生表示对妇产科职业感兴趣。完成轮转后，这种兴趣没有改变。值得注意的是，轮转后对夜班的担忧显著增加，75%的学生将其列为关键阻碍因素。此外，经济因素变得更加重要，54%的学生在轮转后将未来收入视为关键因素，而轮转前这一比例为43%。尽管通过实践经验对妇产科的理解有所提高，但对工作量和压力的担忧依然存在。
虽然临床接触增加了学生对妇产科的了解，但并未显著影响他们对该专业的兴趣，这可能是由于对工作与生活平衡的担忧以及该领域要求苛刻的性质。该研究强调需要对妇产科培训和实践环境进行改革，以解决这些阻碍因素并改善对这一重要专业的人才招募。
