Medical student concerns and fears before their third-year surgical clerkship

Background This study describes the personal concerns of third-year medical students beginning their surgical clerkship. To assess these needs, we studied the expectations, interests, and concerns of beginning surgical clerks. Methods Beginning surgical clerks during the 2002–2003 academic year were invited to respond to a written survey. Responses were categorized into domains of interest and domains of concern. Analysis controlled for prior surgical experience, interest in a surgical career, and academic term. Results The response rate was 83%. Students were most curious about surgical practice, technical skills, and issues of lifestyle/balance among surgeons. Students were most concerned about fatigue, long hours, potential mental abuse, and poor performance. Differences between groups are described. Conclusions Beginning surgical clerks have questions and concerns about topics often not addressed in the curriculum or syllabus. This study suggests the nature of improvements that could assist the inexperienced student in creating a positive clerkship experience and guiding their choice of career.