CORR Insights^®: A Dedicated Research Program Increases the Quantity and Quality of Orthopaedic Resident Publications

Excerpt

Research participation is an important part of residency training. Residents can dive deep into their chosen research topic as well as acquire skills in study design, data collection, analysis, and scientific writing. A record of successful publications may enhance the chances of obtaining a choice fellowship position or job after graduation. Those who do pursue careers as clinician-scientists may derive pleasure from the intellectual stimulation of research and can help advance the field. Even those who choose not to pursue research beyond residency or fellowship benefit from an enhanced ability to critically assess the scientific literature and apply it to their patients. Recently, there has been increasing interest in systems-based approaches to encouraging resident research. Described interventions have included the provision of appropriate resources and protected time for research as well as the creation of dedicated research programs [2]. However, the impact of these interventions remains uncertain, as there is no single metric by which success can be measured. Should we be most interested in quality and quantity of scholarly output, evidence-based patient care, intellectual development and skill acquisition, or perhaps ongoing research activity beyond residency and fellowship? …