Research experiences and attitudes among five disciplines of residents in the United States

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN IN THIS AREA According to previous studies, reasons for resident resistance to research include the lack of experience with research design, ineffective faculty mentorship, limited or no statistical training, difficulty obtaining funding sources, insufficient time, and personal factors (e.g. training debt coupled with lower salaries for researchers). WHAT THIS WORK ADDS Among five disciplines of residents, the present study examines participants' prior research experience, explores self-comparison with the perceived level of experience of peers, and re-investigates deterrents to research activity. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Deterrents to research among residents have been fairly well identified at this point and future studies need to examine the impact of strategic interventions (e.g. resident research training seminar, statistical training during residency, research 'think tank' seminar, seminar for the critical analysis of literature) by programmes and their subsequent impact on resident attitudes towards research.