Are female surgeons happier than their male counterparts?

The answer appears to be yes.

MedPage Today reports a study suggesting that, “Most women surgeons would make the same career choice again if given the option,” and, “women were somewhat more likely than men to say they would choose the surgical profession again.”

What’s notable is the general high satisfaction rate among surgeons, as “most surgeons of both sexes would recommend their profession to others, indirectly suggesting a high rate of professional satisfaction and fulfillment.” That’s something unheard of in primary care.

But, like their primary care counterparts, women reported that they were more likely to prefer alternative schedule options as they prioritized more part-time and shift-based schedules.

General surgery is often described as the “primary care” of specialists, as more students are gravitating towards surgical subspecialties. Although the situation isn’t as bad as primary care, yet, leaders in the field best pay attention to these trends that will surely affect surgeon retention in the future.