La Asociación Andaluza de Cirujanos en el fomento del interés por la cirugía de los estudiantes de medicina en Andalucía

Interest in surgery has declined among medical students in different countries, including Spain, where a low percentage of graduates with good results in the MIR exam choose surgical specialties. Among the causes are identified the limited exposure to surgery in the undergraduate curriculum, the scarce relationship with mentors and the perception of high professional demands. Faced with this situation, the Andalusian Association of Surgeons (ASAC) has developed strategies to encourage interest in surgery among medical students in Andalusia. ASAC's initiatives include the creation of a teaching committee in its Board of Directors, the establishment of agreements with universities for the dissemination of the specialty, the promotion of extracurricular activities and the encouragement of student participation in congresses and scientific meetings. Likewise, it is proposed to periodically evaluate the evolution of the choice of the specialty of general surgery in the MIR as an indicator of the impact of these actions. The early approach to surgery, the creation of student surgical societies and a more structured undergraduate training have been shown to be effective in other international contexts. ASAC seeks to implement these strategies in Andalusia to reverse the current trend and ensure the generational replacement of highly trained surgeons.