Cultivating change: Engaging residents in research

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine Research
• Scholarly Activity

Background:

• American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandates scholarly activities for family medicine residents.
• Traditional challenges include time constraints and limited administrative support, hindering resident research participation.
• Resident involvement in research correlates with higher satisfaction in training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a dedicated research curriculum for family medicine residents.
• To assess the curriculum's effectiveness in meeting ACGME scholarly activity goals.
• To improve resident engagement in research and conference presentations.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a needs assessment to identify research strengths and obstacles.
• Implemented a multifaceted curriculum including lectures, restructured journal club, financial support, and a dedicated research day.
• Integrated dedicated research time into resident schedules and encouraged conference presentations.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in resident scholarly projects and presentations was observed post-curriculum implementation.
• National conference presentations rose from one in five years to an average of four per year.
• A regional research day expanded to include six family medicine programs.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated, multifaceted research curriculum effectively increased resident scholarly activity participation.
• The curriculum led to a substantial rise in regional and national presentations.
• Enhanced resident satisfaction and increased fellowship pursuits were noted outcomes.