Abstract Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the neurosurgery clerkship on fifth-year medical students’ perceptions of the medical profession, professional identity, and learning experiences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study included 116 fifth-year medical students who had completed their neurosurgery rotation. A structured survey instrument was used to assess students’ demographic characteristics, perceptions of neurosurgery, sources of motivation, factors influencing the learning process, perceptions of burnout, and anticipated changes in their outlook on the medical profession following the rotation. Comparisons between groups were performed using the Chi-square test. Results: A total of 60.3% of participants reported that they expected a positive change in their perspective on the medical profession following completion of the neurosurgery clerkship. Neurosurgery was perceived as highly satisfying, particularly due to its association with life-saving surgical interventions and the management of complex clinical cases. The most challenging component of surgical practice was identified as making rapid intraoperative decisions. The presence of an experienced mentor was the most influential factor enhancing the learning experience, whereas burnout was most commonly associated with disruption of work–life balance. Conclusion: The neurosurgery clerkship provides medical students with a transformative educational experience that contributes not only to technical learning but also to the strengthening of professional identity and attitudes toward the medical profession. These findings suggest that clerkship models incorporating mentorship and structured clinical responsibility may play a critical role in supporting professional identity formation in medical education.
Taşkın et al. (2026) studied this question.