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The degree of satisfaction and level of learning in male and female surgical residents: a nationwide questionnaire survey of graduating residents in Japan

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Abstract

Purpose

Since 2002, the Japan Surgical Society has established a board certification system for surgeons to be certified for a specialty. Surgery remains a male-dominated field in Japan. This study aimed to clarify if the Japanese surgical residency training system is equally suitable for female and male residents.

Methods

The Japan Surgical Society conducted the first questionnaire survey regarding the system of surgical training for the residents in 2016. The questionnaire included the degree of satisfaction with 7 aspects of the training system, including the number and variety of cases experienced and duration and quality of instruction, and the learning level for 31 procedures. The degree of satisfaction and level of learning were compared between female and male residents.

Results

The degree of satisfaction was similar for all items between female and male residents. Female residents chose breast surgery as their subspecialty more frequently than male residents and were more confident in breast surgery procedures than male residents. Conversely, fewer female residents chose gastrointestinal surgery and were less confident in gastrointestinal surgery procedures than male residents.

Conclusion

Female residents were as satisfied with the current surgical training system as male residents. However, there may be room for improvement in the surgical system, considering that fewer applications for gastrointestinal surgery come from female residents than from males.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Nobuaki Hoshino (Kyoto University Hospital) for drafting this manuscript and creating the tables and figures, Dr. Kae Okoshi (Japan Baptist Hospital) for providing critical review and comments, and all of the residents who participated in this study. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for the English language editing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Koya Hida

  2. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    Satoshi Hirano, Saseem Poudel & Yo Kurashima

  3. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA

    Dimitrios Stefanidis

  4. Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan

    Daisuke Hashimoto

  5. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan

    Hirotoshi Akiyama

  6. Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan

    Susumu Eguchi

  7. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

    Toshihiro Fukui

  8. Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Masaru Hagiwara

  9. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Tomoko Izaki

  10. Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan

    Shunsuke Kawamoto

  11. Trauma and Acute Critical Care Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Yasuhiro Otomo

  12. Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Eishi Nagai

  13. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

    Hideki Takami & Yasuhiro Kodera

  14. Division of Medical Education, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Yuko Takeda

  15. Department of Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Masakazu Toi

  16. Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan

    Hiroki Yamaue

  17. Department of Medical Education, Graduate School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan

    Motofumi Yoshida

  18. Department of Thoracic Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare School of Medicine, Narita, Japan

    Shigetoshi Yoshida

  19. Department of Breast Oncology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Mitsue Saito

Authors
  1. Koya Hida
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  2. Satoshi Hirano
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  3. Saseem Poudel
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  4. Yo Kurashima
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  5. Dimitrios Stefanidis
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  6. Daisuke Hashimoto
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  7. Hirotoshi Akiyama
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  8. Susumu Eguchi
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  9. Toshihiro Fukui
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  11. Tomoko Izaki
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  12. Shunsuke Kawamoto
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  13. Yasuhiro Otomo
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  14. Eishi Nagai
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  15. Hideki Takami
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  16. Yuko Takeda
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  17. Masakazu Toi
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  18. Hiroki Yamaue
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  19. Motofumi Yoshida
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  20. Shigetoshi Yoshida
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  21. Yasuhiro Kodera
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  22. Mitsue Saito
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Consortia

Japan Surgical Society Residency Curriculum Review Working Group

Japan Surgical Society Education Committee

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koya Hida.

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Hida, K., Hirano, S., Poudel, S. et al. The degree of satisfaction and level of learning in male and female surgical residents: a nationwide questionnaire survey of graduating residents in Japan. Surg Today 53, 1275–1285 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-023-02683-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-023-02683-z

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