Neurosurgery aspirants in UK medical schools: a national cross-sectional analysis of demographics, motivations, and confidence (FAST study)

Oliver Feng, Tomas Ferreira and Alexander M. Collins

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Background: Neurosurgery is among the most competitive specialties in the UK, yet national data on who aspires to it and why are limited. Using the FAST study, we compared medical students who selected neurosurgery with peers choosing other specialties, examining demographics, extracurricular activity, certainty, confidence, and knowledge of the training pathway. Methods: Secondary analysis of the FAST cross-sectional survey of UK medical students conducted December 2023 to March 2024. Responses were collected via an online questionnaire covering demographics, education, extracurricular activity, certainty, confidence, knowledge of training pathways, and factors influencing specialty choice. We compared neurosurgery aspirants with the remaining cohort using descriptive statistics and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Bonferroni corrections were applied where appropriate. Results: Of 8,395 respondents, 212 students selected neurosurgery as their preferred specialty (2.53%). Interest declined sharply with seniority, from 4.5% of first-year students to 0.6% of final-year students. Compared with the national cohort, aspirants were more often male and from non-White ethnic groups. Private schooling was more frequent 29.7% vs 26.0% but not significant. Aspirants reported greater certainty about career choice (OR 2.43, p

Keywords: neurosurgery; career intentions; medical students; workforce planning; FAST study; specialty preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 11 pages
Date: 2026-12-31
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Published in BMC Medical Education, 31, December, 2026, 26(1). ISSN: 1472-6920

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