Aim: After finishing medical school it is getting more and more difficult for medical students to get one of the rare positions in a surgical training program. Only a good career plan and an intelligent strategy for the first steps in surgical life seem to be an advantage for that competition. On the other hand the selection of basic surgical trainees only based on the curriculum vitae and brief interviews may not be satisfying. The aim of this investigation was to answer the following questions: 1. How do consultant surgeons select their basic trainees? 2. How important is the applicant's record and the interview? 3. Which educational and personal criteria are important for the selection? 4. How can medical students improve their chance of getting a position in a surgical training program.
Methods: Using an anonymous and standardized questionnaire 39 chiefs of university departments of surgery and 44 consultant surgeons each from general and local hospitals were interviewed concerning their selection process and criteria required for application in their training program. The candidates were chosen from an official address list (Deutsche Chirurgie 98, Berufsverband der Deutschen Chirurgen). The questionnaire was sent to the candidates by official postal service together with a prepaid return envelope.
Results: Twenty-eight chiefs of university departments of surgery (71.8%) and 29 (65.9%) and 20 (45.5%) of the interviewed consultant surgeons in general and local hospitals responded to the 89-item questionnaire. It turned out that the majority of applications were send to the clinics at the applicant's initiation. Personal relationships or networks are important. Position advertisements are not important. 85.1% of the responders are satisfied with their procedure of selection, nevertheless, 43.4% are interested in recruiting markets. In detail, chiefs of surgical departments in university clinics get a mean of 12.3 (5-50) applications for basic surgical training per month, consultant surgeons in general hospitals 6.5 (4-20), those in local hospitals 5.6 (2-10). The completion and the contents of the doctor's thesis, former research efforts, foreign languages, computer knowledge and other qualifications are the most important criteria in the selection process. Reliability, loyalty, physical and psychological stability, organising and planning ability, stamina, sociability and independence are the most valued personal skills.
Conclusions: Despite the satisfaction with the established common selection process, the high rate of participation in our study shows how important this subject is ranked by leading surgeons. It turned out that besides professional qualification, personal skills are a major criterion in the selection of basic surgical trainees.