Perceptions, experiences, and mental health outcomes of surgical posting among medical students

Objectives: Surgical rotations play a vital role in undergraduate medical training by exposing students to practical patient care and operative practice. Although these experiences strengthen clinical competence, the demanding nature of surgical training may negatively influence students' psychological well-being. This study explored the relationship between experiences during surgical posting and mental health among clinical medical students. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2026 at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria, among undergraduate clinical medical students in their first, second, and final years of clinical training (400-, 500-, and 600-level classes). Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A total of 216 questionnaires were distributed, of which 191 were returned, giving a response rate of 88.4%. After excluding 22 questionnaires because of incomplete responses, 169 questionnaires (78.2% of those distributed) were included in the final analysis. Information was obtained using a pretested, validated, self-administered questionnaire covering the clinical learning environment, surgical exposure, workload, mental health challenges, and coping strategies. Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 using descriptive statistics and the Pearson chi-square test. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: Most respondents viewed the teaching and learning environment positively (75.7%) and reported satisfactory clinical exposure (87.0%). Despite these favourable educational experiences, 74.0% described their workload as high, while 73.4% experienced substantial psychological challenges during the surgical rotation. Good coping strategies and supportive networks were reported by 70.4% of participants. A significant association was observed between surgical posting experiences and mental health outcomes (χ 2 = 69.695, df = 1, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Surgical posting offered valuable opportunities for clinical learning but was accompanied by considerable psychological demands. Strengthening mentorship, expanding student support services, and incorporating mental health promotion into surgical training programs may improve students' well-being while maintaining the educational quality of clinical rotations.