Association between postgraduate year 2 residency program characteristics and primary project publication

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Publication Metrics
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing research publication is crucial for academic and clinical development in postgraduate medical training.
• The primary research project is a key component of critical care residency programs, often culminating in publication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between residency program and research mentor characteristics, program director perceptions, and the publication success of primary research projects for critical care postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) graduates.

Main Methods:

• A validated electronic survey was administered to residency program directors (RPDs) of critical care PGY2 programs.
• RPDs were queried on primary research project publication rates, characteristics of their programs and research mentors, and their perceptions of project completion factors.

Main Results:

• A significant relationship was found between research project publication and the number of residents in a program (p < 0.01), RPD perception of employer value for publication (p < 0.01), and research mentor's funding, employer, prior publications, and research training (p=0.04 to p<0.01).
• Independent predictors for publishing 2+ projects included PGY2 program size (OR, 5.6; p < 0.01), RPD perception of employer value (OR, 10.2; p < 0.01), and mentor's prior publications (OR, 23.5; p = 0.01).
• Publishing 1 project was independently associated with RPD perception of employer value (OR, 5.1; p = 0.04).

Conclusions:

• The number of PGY2 residents, the publication record of the least experienced research mentor, and institutional emphasis on publishing resident research projects are independently associated with publication rates.
• These findings highlight the importance of program structure, mentor experience, and institutional support in fostering research productivity among critical care residents.