Canadian urology resident scholarly performance

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Education
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Scholarly research is integral to Canadian urology residency training.
• Assessing scholarly performance before and during residency is crucial for identifying success factors.
• Understanding these factors can optimize resident research output.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictors of research activity completion in urology residents.
• To evaluate the impact of structured curricula and dedicated research time on scholarly output.
• To analyze the relationship between pre-residency scholarly experience and in-residency productivity.

Main Methods:

• Electronic surveys distributed to 152 urology residents across 11 Canadian programs.
• Data collected on postgraduate training year (PGY), education, prior scholarly activity, research time, curriculum, and fellowship plans.
• Analysis of survey responses from 42 residents representing 10 programs.

Main Results:

• Only 26% of residents had a structured research curriculum; 38% had dedicated research time.
• 45% published at least one manuscript, and 43% submitted one during residency.
• Higher PGY level significantly correlated with increased manuscript publications and research presentations (p < 0.001).
• Residents pursuing fellowships showed higher publication and presentation rates (1.25 and 2.25, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Postgraduate training year (PGY) level is a significant factor in quantitative scholarly output for urology residents.
• Pre-residency scholarly activities, advanced degrees, and fellowship aspirations did not significantly predict in-residency scholarly productivity.
• Improving structured research support and dedicated time may enhance resident scholarly engagement.