LAUSR

The Australian Beyondblue National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of Doctors and Medical Students demonstrated that doctors suffer increased rates of psychological distress and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Application to the Australasian Surgical Education and Training (SET) program is highly competitive. In 2020 there were 892 applications to the Surgical Education and Training (SET) program, with 244 successful applicants. Entry requirements vary between surgical sub-specialties but include a combination of successful completion of pre-requisites such as the General Surgical Sciences Exam, surgical skills set completion and certain hospital rotations. Curriculum vitae are scored for research, higher degrees, volunteerism and leadership and are combined with 6–16 consultant and allied health referees to differentiate applicants. The highest-ranking applications proceed to a formal interview for final selection. The impact on mental health of junior doctors undergoing SET application in Australia is undefined. This study aims to compare the impact of specialty training entrance requirements on the mental health and work life balance of junior doctors pursuing careers in surgery and those pursuing non-surgical careers.