Survey of Surgical Oncology Fellowship Graduates 2005–2016: Insight into Initial Practice

Background Despite burgeoning interest in Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) fellowship training, little is reported about postgraduate employment. The goal of this study was to characterize CGSO graduates’ first employment and to identify factors that influenced this decision. Methods The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Society of Surgical Oncology developed and distributed an electronic survey to CGSO fellows who graduated from 2005 to 2016. Results The survey response rate was 47% (237/509). Fifty-seven percent of respondents were first employed as faculty surgeons at a university-based/affiliated hospital, with 15% returning to their residency institution. The distribution of respondents’ current employment across the United States mirrored the locations of their hometowns. Eighty-five percent of respondents care for patients across at least three disease types, most commonly hepatopancreatobiliary (81%), esophagus/gastric (75%), and sarcoma (74%). Twenty-seven percent of respondents spend the majority of their time in one area of surgical oncology; melanoma, breast, and head/neck were the most common. Two-thirds of respondents (67%) reported that they performed either clinical or basic science research as part of their current position. Multiple factors influenced the decision of first faculty position. Conclusions Most CGSO graduates are employed at academic medical centers across the country in proximity to NCI-designated centers, treat a variety of disease types, and spend a percentage of their time dedicated to clinical research.