A Program for Promoting Clinical Scholarship in General Surgery

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandates resident physician training in the principles and applications of research. To provide a robust early foundation for effective engagement in scholarship, we designed a novel clinical scholarship program (CSP) for PGY1 general surgery residents.

In a general surgery residency training program, we assessed resident academic productivity (i.e., presentations, publications, and sustained engagement in clinical research) and self-efficacy to conduct clinical research, as well as the overall satisfaction of both residents and faculty mentors. The clinical research appraisal inventory was administered both before and after completion of the CSP rotation.

Totally, 44 categorical general surgery trainees and 23 faculty research mentors participated in the CSP from 2011 to 2016; 26 residents (59%) presented at regional or national meetings. Of the 35 residents who were 24 or more months beyond their PGY1 training period, 16 (46%) have published their CSP project, 5 (14%) report continued commitment towards publication, and 22 (63%) have ≥1 clinical research publications beyond their CSP participation during residency, excluding publications arising from subsequent formal research fellowships. Clinical research appraisal inventory responses indicate significant improvement (p < 0.005) in clinical research self-efficacy.

A structured CSP increases the confidence of trainees to perform clinical research and leads to significant contributions directed at addressing clinically meaningful problems in surgery. Faculty-guided resident research at a very early stage of clinical training supplements other mentorship experiences and encourages the development of surgeons who will engage in life-long clinical problem solving.