Are surgeons happy in practice? Examining a quarter-century of Alberta’s surgical graduates

Every year, hundreds of new surgeons graduate from residency programs across Canada. Much time and effort is spent on preparing these surgeons for independent practice, but there is little literature about the career trajectories of surgeons after they finish training and enter practice. We surveyed all surgeons graduating from the residency programs of a single Canadian medical school over 25 years (1985–2010). Most respondents rated their job satisfaction as high/very high and indicated they would still pursue a residency in surgery and/or their specialty if they had it to do over again. This commentary discusses important information about where our graduates go and what their careers are like, challenging existing stereotypes about careers in surgery. Our survey findings should be communicated to students interested in careers in surgery.