Development of a Culture of Scholarship: The Impact of a Structured Roadmap for Scholarly Activity in Family Medicine Residency Program.

INTRODUCTION

The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandates resident scholarship in all residency programs. Resident scholarship requirement continues to be one of the most common citations by the Residency Review Committee (RRC). This study evaluates the impact of a structured roadmap for resident scholarly activity in a single-family medicine residency program.

METHODS

This retrospective study compares resident scholarship before and after exposure to a structured roadmap for scholarly activity as well as characteristics associated with higher scholarship productivity. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) version 16.0. Student's t-test was used to calculate the statistically significant difference.

RESULTS

There were a total of 16 residents who graduated in the first cohort whereas the second cohort consisted of 18 residents. There was a steady increase in resident scholarly activity over time. The number of publications by those who were exposed to a 13-step structured roadmap for scholarly activity was more than twice when compared with the first cohort. Those who pursued a fellowship after residency published three times more than those who did not.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to a structured roadmap for scholarly activity may be associated with higher production of resident scholarly activity. Larger studies comparing national level data from isolated community hospitals and big academic centers are needed for a conclusive argument. Although the availability of resources may increase the likelihood of more scholarship, the establishment of a research culture is more important. Further studies are needed to determine the factors which lead to the establishment of research culture in a residency program.