General surgery residents have high attrition rates

Editor's Note

This meta-analysis found that the overall rate of attrition among general surgery residents was 18%, and that the most common causes of attrition were uncontrollable lifestyle and choosing to join another specialty.

Of 19,821 general surgery residents involved in the analysis, attrition was significantly higher for females compared with males (25% vs 15%), and most residents left after their first postgraduate year (48%).

Departing residents often relocated to another general surgery program (20%) or switched to anesthesia (13%) and other specialties, including plastic surgery, radiology, and family medicine.

Further studies should focus on developing interventions to limit resident attrition, the authors say.

Question What is the attrition prevalence among surgical residents? Findings This systematic review and meta-analysis found that the pooled estimate of attrition prevalence among general surgery residents was 18%, female residents were more likely to leave than male residents, and residents were most likely to leave after the first postgraduate year owing to an uncontrollable lifestyle.