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Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon
Published on: January 6, 2011
Clinical research during surgery residency: the Chattanooga approach
J B Thomas1, J B Cofer, P L Lewis
1Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga Unit, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
Current Surgery
|August 12, 2005
Summary
An extra year of clinical research significantly boosts academic output for surgical residents, leading to more publications. This nontraditional approach enhances research productivity without compromising clinical skills.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Academic Medicine
Background:
- The traditional general surgery residency model has been evaluated for its research output.
- A nontraditional approach incorporating a dedicated clinical research year was implemented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and evaluate the efficacy of a clinical research rotation in improving academic productivity.
- To assess the impact of an additional year of clinical research on peer-reviewed publications.
Main Methods:
- A mandatory year of clinical research was integrated into the general surgery curriculum, divided into three 4-month rotations.
- Curriculum vitae of 31 traditional 5-year residency graduates were compared with 15 subjects (6-year graduates and residents who completed the research year).
- Publications were verified via MEDLINE search, and statistical analysis used Mann-Whitney U and independent t tests.
Main Results:
- Graduates completing the 5-year program averaged 0.94 publications, while 6-year graduates averaged 2.67 publications (p < 0.001).
- Resident opinions on the desire to pursue research and the benefits of the research year were varied.
Conclusions:
- An additional year dedicated to clinical research can significantly improve academic productivity, offering an alternative to traditional basic science research models.
- This nontraditional approach may help maintain clinical skills, facilitate long-term projects, and provide a necessary break from demanding residency training.
