Profile of the General Surgery resident: what are the changes in the 21 st Century?

Objective: to verify the profile of the General Surgery residents of the Clinics Hospital (HC) of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMUSP).

Methods: we evaluated the residents approved in the public contest for the Medical Residency Program in General Surgery of HC-FMUSP in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. We carried out the study by applying a questionnaire and gathering information from the Medical Residency Commission of the Institution. We analyzed data on identification, origin of the candidate, undergraduate school, surgical teaching received, reason for choosing Surgery, residency expectations, choice of future specialty and pretensions as to the end of medical residency. We also analyzed the result of the examination of access to specialties.

Results: the mean age was 25.8 years; 74.3% of residents were male. The majority (84.4%) had attended public medical schools, 68% of which were not in the Southeast region; 85,2% of the residents were approved in the first contest. The specialty choice was present for 75.9% of individuals at the beginning of the residency program, but 49.5% changed their minds during training. Plastic Surgery, Urology and Digestive System Surgery were chosen by 61.5%. Sixty hours per week work were considered adequate by 83.3%; 27.3% favored direct access to the specialty. At the end of the specialty, 53.3% intended to continue in São Paulo, and 26.2%, to return to their State of origin. A strict-sense post-graduate course was intended by 68.3%.

Conclusion: the current profile of the resident reveals a reduction in the demand for General Surgery, an earlier definition of the specialty, options for increasingly specific areas and an activity that offers a better quality of life.