Multivariate analysis of the factors affecting medical students’ decision to join the cardiovascular surgery department

• Published in: General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 72; no. 8; pp. 501 - 504
• Main Authors: Nakajima, Tomohiro, Iba, Yutaka, Shibata, Tsuyoshi, Tsushima, Shingo, Arihara, Ayaka, Hosaka, Itaru, Ohkawa, Akihito, Nakazawa, Jyunji, Kawaharada, Nobuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.08.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Annual meetings; Cardiac Surgery; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures - education; Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures - statistics & numerical data; Career Choice; Conferences; Costs; Decision Making; Female; Gender; Heart surgery; Humans; Internship and Residency; Learned societies; Male; Medical students; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Multivariate Analysis; Original Article; Participation; Population; Regression analysis; Seminars; Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data; Surgeons; Surgical Oncology; Thoracic Surgery; Travel & entertainment expenses; Work life balance; Working hours; Japan; Recruiting; Wet lab; Cost-effectiveness; Summer seminar
• ISSN: 1863-6705; 1863-6713; 1863-6713
• DOI: 10.1007/s11748-023-01995-8

Objective The purpose of this study was to statistically analyze the factors that influence cardiovascular surgery recruitment. Methods Fifth- and sixth-year medical students and first-year residents who participated in cardiovascular surgery-related events at our university over a 10-year period from April 2013 to August 2022 were included. The primary endpoint was admission to the department of cardiovascular surgery. Gender, participation in sixth-year elective clinical training, participation in national academic conferences, participation in cardiovascular surgery summer school, and the cost of participation in these events (airfares and lodging) were included as analytic factors. Results Fifty-three participants attended cardiovascular surgery events during the study period. The sample included 48 males (84%) and 9 females (16%), and 3 fifth-year medical students (5%), 45 sixth-year students (79%), and 9 students in their first year of clinical training (16%). Eighteen (32%) of the participants eventually joined the department. Gender, participation in national academic conferences, cardiovascular surgery summer school, and cost of participation were not significantly related to the decision to join the department, but participation in elective clinical training was significantly positively related to the decision to join the department for sixth-year students ( p  < 0.01). Conclusions We statistically analyzed the factors involved in the recruitment of students and initial clinical residents to the department of cardiovascular surgery. The results showed that participation in elective clinical training was significantly positively associated with the decision to join the department, suggesting that efforts to encourage participation in elective clinical training are important.