Development and implementation of a sustainable research curriculum for general surgery residents: A foundation for developing a research culture.

BACKGROUND

Different methods to incorporate research training during residency are suggested, however, long-term impact is not studied well. This study reports development of a research curriculum with milestones, a long-term outcome and sustainability, and its impact on the overall departmental research culture.

METHODS

The research curriculum that included a research seminar for resident preparation, annual milestones, and structured research mentoring was implemented in our hybrid program in 2012. The research output for five-year period before and after the implementation was evaluated as peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and grant submissions. Further, secondary effects on faculty and medical student research was evaluated.

RESULTS

Following implementation, we observed a significant increase in the number of resident presentations (p < 0.05) and higher trends for publications and grant submissions. Medical student research increased significantly in terms of both presentations and publications (p < 0.05). Consequently, we observed a significant improvement in the overall department research productivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our resident research curriculum was associated with improved long-term research productivity. It allowed residents to work closely with faculty and medical students leading to more collaboration resulting in an enhanced scholarly environment.