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"Ghost" publications among applicants to a general surgery residency program.

Paul C Kuo1, Rebecca A Schroeder, Anand Shah

  • 1Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. kuo00004@mc.duke.edu

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
|October 18, 2008
PubMed
Summary

A significant portion of publications listed on residency applications are unverified "ghost" publications. This study highlights potential issues with applicant integrity and the need for better oversight in medical education.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Education
  • Publication Ethics
  • Surgical Residency Admissions

Background:

  • The integrity of information provided in residency applications is crucial for fair selection processes.
  • Potentially fraudulent publications, termed "ghost" publications, may inflate an applicant's credentials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the incidence of unverified or potentially fraudulent publications in general surgery residency applications.
  • To identify factors associated with the listing of ghost publications.

Main Methods:

  • Review of 493 Electronic Residency Application Services applications submitted in 2005 for general surgery residency.
  • Verification of listed publications against databases (Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Google) and medical librarians.
  • Definition of ghost publications as unverified entries or discrepancies between listed and actual publications.

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Main Results:

  • 31% of applicants listed 596 publications; 33% of these were unverified.
  • Ghost publications were disproportionately found in the journal article category (p < 0.001).
  • Older age and foreign medical school were predictors of ghost publications, while enrollment in a top-10 US research medical school was a negative predictor.

Conclusions:

  • A substantial fraction of publications submitted in residency applications are not verifiable.
  • This finding suggests a potential need for enhanced mentorship and oversight for medical school applicants.
  • The implications of this behavior for future professional integrity remain unknown.