Designing a resident research program

The development of a resident research program and the role of the residency research advisory board (RRAB) in the program are described.

Over the past decade, there have been numerous barriers to successfully implementing a residency research program. An RRAB was subsequently developed to assist with research mentoring to help prepare residents to incorporate research into future positions. Within this board, one clinical pharmacy practitioner or preceptor serves as the research coordinator and acts as chair and liaison to the institutional review board (IRB) and research and development (R&D) committee. All members of the RRAB function as research experts in various aspects of the research process. The RRAB comprises three members to navigate IRB and R&D paperwork, generate and develop research ideas, create relationships with institutional research committees, educate pharmacy residents in a consistent manner on research methods in a longitudinal fashion, provide mentorship to preceptors, and facilitate service-related communication on our research timelines, plans, local and distant presentations, and other related efforts. The development of the resident research program and the RRAB have resulted in an improvement in the level of research conducted by our residents and preceptors. Due to the support of the RRAB, residents are submitting and presenting posters at local, state, and national meetings as well as submitting manuscripts to and publishing manuscripts in health care journals.

Development of an RRAB increased residents' manuscript publication and poster presentation rates and facilitated the research process.