Grit and Thoracic Surgery Interest Among Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between medical student Grit and thoracic surgery career interest.

Design: An online questionnaire was designed to measure self-reported ratings of Grit among medical student using the Short-Grit scale, as well as thoracic surgery career interest.

Setting: Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Participants: From 2019 to 2021, 192/367 (52.3%) participants in their first or second year of medical school. The cohort was comprised of 109 (56.8%) females while 115 (59.9%) were <24 years of age.

Results: Mean Grit was high (M = 4.159 +/- 0.450) among medical students. There were 80 (41.2%) students interested in thoracic surgery. There was a significant difference in Grit between students with a career interest in thoracic surgery (4.256 +/- 0.442) and those uninterested in thoracic surgery (4.089 +/- 0.444); t(190) = 2.572, p = 0.011; Cohen's D = 0.442. Career interest in thoracic surgery was not influenced by career factor interest.

Conclusions: Grittier students have a career interest in thoracic surgery. Recruitment teams in thoracic surgery residency programs with high rates of burnout and poor psychological wellbeing among trainees may take interest in these findings.

Keywords: Theories Of Career Choice And Development; career; thoracic surgery.