Research in residency: do research curricula impact post-residency practice?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine Research

Background:

• Residency Review Committee for Family Medicine advocates research training for lifelong learning.
• Limited evidence exists on the postgraduate impact of residency research curricula.
• This study compares outcomes of graduates with and without research training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differences in attitudes, knowledge, and behavior between family medicine residency graduates based on research training exposure.
• To evaluate the influence of formal research training on postgraduate practice.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 234 family medicine residency graduates in Michigan.
• Eight of the 13 programs surveyed included formal research curricula.
• Responses were compared between graduates with and without research training, assessing attitudes, knowledge, and practice activities.

Main Results:

• Graduates with research training showed greater appreciation for research in guiding treatment decisions.
• No significant differences were found in statistical knowledge or comfort reading research articles.
• Research-trained graduates utilized Medline searches more frequently; non-trained graduates were more involved in teaching and practice audits.

Conclusions:

• Formal research training positively influences attitudes toward research and literature searching.
• Research training during residency does not appear to increase postgraduate involvement in teaching or practice audits.