Grit and Thoracic Surgery Interest Among Medical Students

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.