Case reports published by residents of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, 2008-2013

Case report publications introduce new information into the current body of medical information and provide trainees with an opportunity to develop skills that enhance patient care. However, opportunities for publication are limited because journals often have other editorial priorities and some journals do not want to publish articles that might decrease their impact factors. Using PubMed and Google Scholar, we identified the case report articles published by our residents who completed training between 2008 and 2013. Sixty-one residents published 55 case reports and/or letters. Twenty-five of these publications had 87 citations in the years of publication and up 5 years after publication. Most of these citations occurred in other case reports (36) or in review articles (24). In conclusion, publishing case reports by residents has important benefits for the individual resident and the residency program and provides another resource for medical care.