[The German Surgery Congress from the perspective of young surgeons; expectations and barriers : Results of a nationwide online survey].

Authors

Sebastian Schaaf, Perspektivforum Junge Chirurgie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie, Stefanie Brunner, Chirurgische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Junge Chirurgie (CAJC) der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV), Frederik Schlottmann, Junge Forum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Ästhetische Chirurgie (DGPRÄC), Sabine Drossard, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendchirurgie (DGKJC), Benedikt J Braun, Berufsverband der Deutschen Chirurgie (BDC), Louisa Schuffert, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendchirurgie (DGKJC), Dominik Adl Amini, Junge Forum O&U der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DGOU), Joscha Mulorz, Junge Forum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gefäßchirurgie und Gefäßmedizin (DGG), Romina Rösch, Atrin Pezeshgi, Randa Haraki, Thomas Schmitz-Rixen

Published in

Chirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany). Aug 12, 2026. Epub Aug 12, 2026.

Abstract

The German Surgery Congress (DCK) represents a central platform for scientific exchange and continuing medical education in the surgical disciplines in Germany; however, participation rates among young surgeons appear disproportionately low relative to the target population.
The study assessed the expectations, barriers to participation and potential areas for improvement of the DCK from the perspective of young surgeons.
An anonymous web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among young surgeons in Germany. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, prior congress experience, barriers to participation, expectations regarding content and formats and open-ended responses to general perception of the DCK. The qualitatively and quantitatively collated data were exploratively analyzed.
A total of 226 responses were analyzed. The overall willingness to participate was high (90.3%). The main barriers identified were lack of institutional support/leave (38.1%), high costs (22.1%) and insufficient information about the congress (14.2%). Content-related factors played a minor role. Participants prioritized practice-oriented formats, particularly hands-on courses (50.9%), interactive sessions (33.6%), mentoring and networking opportunities (46.9%). Expectations were largely consistent across subgroups.
Low participation of young surgeons in the DCK appears to be primarily driven by structural and organizational barriers rather than lack of interest. The findings highlight that the further development of the DCK does not primarily depend on expanding the program but on a targeted orientation toward the needs of young surgeons and a reduction In structural access barriers. A stronger emphasis on practice-oriented continuing education, mentoring, interactive formats and hybrid concepts could sustainably improve the attractiveness and accessibility of the DCK.

PMID:
42584482
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Aug 2026.

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