What does it take to become a neurosurgeon? A mixed methods cross-sectional analysis of professional identity formation amongst neurosurgical trainees

Abstract

Introduction

The concept of professional identity (as distinct from technical skills development), and how it can be cultivated by trainees in neurosurgical training has not been explored before.

Aims

This study aimed to assess neurosurgical trainees’ perceptions of professional identity, how it develops and how it might be enhanced during the course of training.

Methods

A mixed methods cross-sectional analysis was conducted consisting of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a small group of neurosurgical trainees to qualitatively identify common themes around professional identity. These themes were then quantitatively analysed via a national on-line questionnaire survey amongst the wider United Kingdom neurosurgical trainee cohort.

Results

Interviewed participants were fiveteen British neurosurgical trainees spanning across junior (n = 5), intermediate (n = 5) and senior (n = 5) levels of training at two University teaching hospitals representing high-volume tertiary centres for Neurosurgery in the United Kingdom. The on-line questionnaire survey returned complete responses by 80 trainees (30% response rate). These data demonstrated that at different stages of training, neurosurgical trainees self-identified differently, and engaged in different practices to develop their identity. However, all trainees irrespective of level appeared to perceive a common set of qualities that define the identity of a fully-fledged neurosurgeon.

Conclusion

A model has been constructed that describes professional identity formation amongst neurosurgical trainees at different stages of training, and how these feed into an aspired core identity profile of a Neurosurgeon. Based on this model, suggestions have been made to potentially improve professional identity formation amongst neurosurgical trainees.

Keywords:

• Neurosurgery
• neurosurgical training
• higher specialty training
• junior doctors
• professional identity
• development

Disclosure statement

The author reports no declaration of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Authors’ contribution

SM conceived the study design, performed the data collection and analysis, literature review, and writing of the manuscript, and revised it for intellectual content. SM read and approved the final manuscript.