Can we identify medical students and residents at risk for attrition in general surgery and intervene before residents quit?

Many general surgery residents contemplate quitting residency at some time during their training. Once a surgery resident decides that general surgery will not provide the desired lifestyle, the chance of him completing his residency decreases significantly and quitting is inevitable. Residency programs must improve their ability to identify those residents contemplating quitting residencies and intervene. Intervention may be possible with early identification of medical students and residents at risk for attrition.