Research residents' choices of academic radiology careers

In 1993, the University of Virginia instituted a separate research residency program in the Residency Match (one resident per year). As part of the program, research residents took their second year away from clinical service for research under mentors and enrolled in a postgraduate educational program. This article evaluates what fraction of these residents eventually chose research careers.

The article reviews the career choices of 51 residents (8 research residents, 43 conventional clinical residents) who entered residency training between 1993 (the year the research residency program began) and 1999 (the last year for which postfellowship data were available) and compares the rates of research residents and conventional clinical residents choosing academic careers.

Of the 8 research residents, 5 are currently in academic practice, but 2 of the 8 were dismissed from the program for poor clinical performance. Of the 43 clinical residents, all but 2 are in community practice; 6 of these residents either were dismissed or left the program voluntarily. Research residents had greater difficulty with board examinations than clinical residents.

A dedicated research residency can increase the rate of trainees ultimately choosing academic careers, but there are significant risks for these trainees that they will not be able to sufficiently accommodate both clinical and research training roles.