Elsevier

Academic Pediatrics

Volume 18, Issue 5, July 2018, Pages 542-549
Academic Pediatrics

Scholarly Activity Training During Residency: Are We Hitting the Mark? A National Assessment of Pediatric Residents

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2018.02.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

Participation in scholarly activity (SA) is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirement. Our previous research with program directors (PDs) suggests that pediatric SA training is variable and suboptimal. To help programs better meet requirements, our objective was to understand the resident perspective regarding SA training, including factors associated with satisfaction and productivity.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional surveys of second- and third-year pediatric residents and PDs at 22 diverse programs in 2016. Surveys assessed resident demographics, career intentions, program characteristics, beliefs, barriers, satisfaction, and productivity, defined as SA accepted at a regional or national meeting, for publication, or grant funding. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

A total of 464 (60.2%) of 771 residents and 22 PDs (100%) responded. Most residents believed that residents should participate in SA (n = 380, 81.9%). However, only 37.9% (n = 175) were extremely or very satisfied with their training. Residents who reported that training to conduct research (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]  = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–3.5), availability of a research curriculum (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.1), and adequate faculty mentorship (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.6–4.1) were not barriers were more satisfied. Protected time was associated with satisfaction (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.7). A total of 43.8% of residents (n = 203) were productive. Productivity was associated with future plans to conduct research (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI 2.1–5.1).

Conclusions

Residents believe SA training is important. Dedicated program infrastructure, protected time, and adequate mentorship appear to be crucial to improving quality perceptions.

Section snippets

Survey Administration

We performed cross-sectional web-based surveys of postgraduate year (PGY) 2 and 3 residents and PDs from corresponding programs between April and June 2016. Programs were recruited through the Association for Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network (APPD LEARN), which provides infrastructure for multicenter, collaborative research projects among pediatric residency programs.10 In agreeing to participate, a program assumed responsibility for obtaining

Program Characteristics

A total of 110 of 204 programs were contacted by APPD LEARN; 22 programs participated. This included a mixture of academic and community programs, as well as programs of various sizes (Table 1). There was no significant difference in program characteristics between programs in our study and all other programs nationally (Table 1). Available resources were variable (Table 2), as was program definitions for SA. All programs counted original research (n = 22, 100%) as SA, and most included case

Discussion

While the benefits of SA participation in residency are well recognized and the ACGME requires residents' participation in SA, little research has been done to assess the resident perspective.9, 13, 14, 15, 16 Most residents we surveyed agree that knowledge of scholarly principles is vital to a career in pediatrics and that all residents should be involved in SA. Unfortunately, only a minority were satisfied with the quality of their research training. Respondents felt strongly that all

Acknowledgments

We thank the pediatric program directors and residents who participated in this study. Collaborators included: Joanna Lewis, MD (Advocate Lutheran General Hospital); Sharon Unti, MD (Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago); Maria Perez, DO (Atlantic Health System, Goryeb Children's Hospital); Julie Anderson-Suddarth, MD (Blank Children's Hospital); Fernanda Kupferman, MD (Brookdale University); Sydney Primis, MD (Carolinas Medical Center); Martha Wright, MD, and Allayne

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    The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

    Presented in part as a poster presentation at the Association of Pediatric Program Directors national conference, April 2017, Anaheim, Calif; and as a platform presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies' national conference, May 2017, San Francisco, Calif.

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