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Objective: Assessing workforce diversity over time is essential to understanding how it has evolved and anticipating its future. We conducted the current study to evaluate gender, racial/ethnic, and duty trends over the past decade in general surgery and surgical subspecialties., Design: This is a cross-sectional study. We calculated ratios and relative changes to assess potential differences of physicians' characteristics across time and surgical subspecialties., Setting: We evaluated data acquired by the Association of American Medical Colleges., Participants: We extracted data from the 2000 to 2013 including the overall number of surgeons, surgeon race/ethnicity, gender, and primary professional activity., Results: During 2000 to 2013, the total number of surgeons increased 11.5%, reaching 172,062 active surgeons and residents, the majority of whom were White (64%) or male (75%). However, from 2000 to 2013, most specialties showed some improvement in terms of including minorities and females. Most surgeons (98%) participate in patient care while a small portion are devoted to other activities (e.g., administrative, research, teaching; 2%). Both groups increased over the study period., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the face of surgery is changing. Continuous monitoring of the surgical workforce is important to anticipate future needs and to serve a diverse patient population., (Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ratios of women graduating from the only US military medical school and entering surgical internships were reviewed and compared with national trends., Methods: Data were obtained from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences graduation announcements from 2002 to 2012., Results: There were 1,771 graduates from 2002 to 2012, with 508 female (29%) and 1,263 male (71%) graduates. Female graduates increased over time (21% to 39%; P = .014). Female general surgery interns increased from 3.9% to 39% (P = .025). Female overall surgical subspecialty interns increased from 20% in 2002 to 36% in 2012 (P = .046). Women were represented well in obstetrics (57%), urology (44%), and otolaryngology (31%), but not in neurosurgery, orthopedics, and ophthalmology (0% to 20%)., Conclusions: The sex disparity between military and civilian medical students occurs before entry. Once in medical school, women are just as likely to enter general surgery or surgical subspecialty as their male counterparts. Increased ratio of women in the class is unlikely to lead to a shortfall except in specific subspecialties., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Vascular surgery is a subspecialty that attracts future surgeons with challenging technical procedures and complex decision making. Despite its appeal, continued promotion of the field is necessary to recruit and retain the best and brightest candidates. Recruitment of medical students and residents may be limited by the lifestyle inherent to vascular surgery and the length of residency training. The young adults of the current applicant and resident pool differ from prior generations in their desire for hands-on mentoring, aspirations to affect change daily, a penchant for technology, and strong emphasis on work-life balance. Furthermore, the percentage of women pursuing careers in vascular surgery is not representative of the eligible workforce. Women are now the majority of graduates in all of higher education, and thus, vascular surgery may need to make a concerted effort to appeal to women in order to attract the most talented young professionals to the field. Recruiting strategies for both men and women of Generation Y should target a diverse group of potential candidates with an awareness of the unique characteristics and needs of this generation of rising surgeons., (Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Women are increasingly entering the medical studies. We aim to investigate surgical residents' career decision making among surgical residents and to assess the presence of women., Methods: An "electronic questionnaire" of self-assessment was distributed to the 2,500 current French surgical residents. Items analyzed included population characteristics, demographics, educational experiences, and choice of career., Results: There was a response rate of 31.2% (n = 779). The male/female ratio was 1.1 with 370 women (47.5%). The mean age was 28 ± 2 years. All surgical specialties were represented. Sex was significantly associated with the choice of surgical specialty (P < .05). Female residents had a shorter working time per week than male residents (P < .001). Sex was significantly linked with future career plans as female residents expected to work in a public hospital (P = .005) and as male residents expected to work in private practice (P = .001)., Conclusions: Female surgical residents are more populous than ever among surgical residents. Sex appears to be linked with where and how the residents expect to work in the future., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Summary: A comparison of research experience, fellowship training, and ultimate practice patterns of general surgery graduates at a university-based surgical residency program. Research experience correlated with pursuing fellowship training and predicted an eventual academic career. More recently, graduates have been able to obtain fellowships without a dedicated research year, perhaps reflecting shifting fellowship training opportunities., Background: We hypothesized that the relationships among dedicated research experience during residency, fellowship training, and career choices is changing as research and fellowship opportunities evolve., Methods: Comparison of research experience, fellowship training, and ultimate practice patterns of general surgery graduates for 2 decades (1990-1999, n = 82; 2000-2009, n = 98) at a university-based residency program. Main outcome measures were number of years and area of research, fellowship training, and practice setting., Results: Compared by decade, graduates became increasingly fellowship-trained (51.2% vs 67.3%; p < 0.05) and pursuit of fellowship training increased for both research and nonresearch participating graduates. The number of residents completing more than 1 year of research doubled (9.8% vs 22.4%, p < 0.05). By decade, the percentage of female graduates increased significantly (22% vs 41%, p = 0.005), with more women participating in dedicated research (17% vs 51%, p < 0.001) and seeking fellowships. The number of graduates going into specialty practice and academic/clinical faculty positions increased over time., Conclusions: Surgical residents have completed more dedicated research years and became increasingly fellowship-trained over time. The proportion of female graduates has increased with similar increases in research time and fellowship training in this subgroup. In the earlier decade, dedicated research experiences during surgical residency correlated with pursuing fellowship training, and predicted an eventual academic career. More recently, graduates have obtained fellowships and academic positions without dedicated research time, perhaps reflecting shifting fellowship opportunities., (Copyright © 2011 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Information about the education, training and future employment prospects of Icelandic surgeons has not been available., Materials and Methods: The study included all Icelandic surgeons, in all subspecialties, educated at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Iceland. Information on specialty training, higher academic degrees and in which country these were obtained was collected. Future employment prospects were analysed by calculating supply and demand until the year 2025. Approximations, such as sustained demand for surgeons per capita, were used., Results: Out of 237 licensed surgeons, two thirds were living in Iceland and 36 were retired. Majority (69.2%) had been trained in Sweden and orthopaedic (26.9%) and general surgery (23.9%) were the most common subspecialties. The average age of surgeons in Iceland was 52 years and 44 years for surgeons abroad. Females were 8% of surgeons in Iceland while being 17.4% among 36 doctors in surgical training overseas. Over 19% had received a PhD degree. Predictions suggest that supply and demand for surgeons in Iceland will be equal in the year 2025, not taking into account the prospects for the working market outside Iceland., Conclusion: A third of Icelandic surgeons live outside Iceland. The proportion of female surgeons is low but it is increasing. Our predictions indicate a balanced work market for surgeons in Iceland for the next 15 years. However, there are many uncertainty factors in the calculations and they do not predict the prospects for individual subspecialties.

Purpose: It is difficult to compare match outcomes across specialties because they may change over time and data are not reported in uniform formats., Method: Recent U.S. student match outcomes were analyzed for 16 specialties., Results: On the basis of student match rates, three specialties were consistently competitive, eight were consistently noncompetitive, and five were in flux. Unfilled position rates increased for five specialties and remained stable or decreased for 11., Conclusions: Many specialties, both competitive and noncompetitive, recently have become increasingly desirable to match participants, whereas primary care specialties have become less desirable to both U.S. students and other match participants.

Context: Trends in career choice among specialties have varied greatly. Most notable is the recent decrease in the percentage of US medical student graduates choosing a primary care career, which has important implications for the US physician workforce., Objective: To review temporal trends in career choice by graduates of allopathic US medical schools, focusing on US medical doctors entering residencies since 1987., Data Sources: Three databases, the Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire (AAMC GQ), the National Resident Matching Program, and the national Graduate Medical Education census, were used to review temporal trends in the number of US medical doctors entering residencies in primary care, general or subspecialty surgical, and non-primary care and nonsurgical specialties from 1987 to 2002., Data Synthesis: In 1987, 49.2% of all medical school graduates matched to one of the generalist residencies (internal medicine, pediatrics, or family medicine). The percentage of students matching to primary care specialties declined in the early 1990s, peaked at 53.2% in 1998, and declined to 44.2% in 2002. Concurrent with the latter decline, AAMC GQ data showed a decrease in medical student interest in primary care careers (35.6% in 1999 to 21.5% in 2002). The total percentage of US medical doctors matching to general or subspecialty surgical residencies remained stable at 11% to 12% from 1987 to 2002. During this same period, emergency medicine and plastic surgery increased as a match choice, while anesthesiology, pathology, and psychiatry were more variable over time., Conclusions: Distribution of medical students' career choices among specialties varied considerably from 1987 to 2002. The debate will continue regarding the appropriate specialty mix within the physician workforce.

In Norway, as in most Western countries, doctors' choice of specialty has been strongly gendered. Female physicians have tended both to specialise to a lesser degree and to enter other specialties than male colleagues. In spite of the increase of women in medicine, previous studies have not managed to show any changes in this pattern. Comparing data from two cohorts of Norwegian doctors, authorised in 1970-73 and 1980-83 respectively, this article demonstrates that changes are in fact taking place. The changes are, however, not unequivocal. Firstly, women in these cohorts specialise to a very high degree and just as much as their male colleagues. Secondly, women doctors of the 1980s cohort spread their choice of specialisation over more fields than their predecessors did. They have, for example, started to enter surgery, although still not as often as men. Thirdly, proportionally more doctors of the 1980s cohort than the 1970s cohort have chosen general practice as their main specialty, and this applies to both women and men. Fourthly, there are tendencies towards an increasing concentration of women in some disciplines such as obstetrics and gynaecology, as well as paediatrics. These changes in doctors' pattern of specialisation are discussed as consequences of socially shaped individual preferences, structural aspects of the Norwegian health system and the existence of gendered closure mechanisms within specific medical fields. Although the medical profession still appears as a gender differentiated community, the article gives a more dynamic and in some respects a more optimistic picture than earlier studies.