Eyes of the Beholders: First-year medical students? perceptions of surgeons and the field of surgery

Background: Medical students have negative perceptions of surgery prior to their clerkships. To explore possible explanations, we examined the association between these perceptions, individual identity and vulnerability to stereotype threat (ST). Methods: All first-year medical students at a single school received an electronic survey which assessed identity groups, vulnerability to ST and perceptions of surgeons/surgery. Multi-method analyses examined these associations. Results: Women held more negative than positive views about the field of surgery (p = 0.007) but not surgeons. Students vulnerable to ST had negative views about both surgeons (p < 0.0001) and surgery (p = 0.007). They were also less interested in pursuing a surgical career compared to non-vulnerable students (56% vs. 80% p = 0.03). Conclusion: For some students, negative views of surgeons and surgery appear to be associated with individual identity and ST. Future research should aim to confirm these findings and identify strategies to develop positive perceptions for these populations.