Development of a Scientific Writing Course to Increase Fellow Scholarship

Physicians in training are often taught how to conduct original research but may lack the skills necessary to write their results in a paper for the peer-reviewed medical literature. To help our critical care fellows increase their publication rates, we implemented an 8-hour scientific writing course that provides a structured approach to writing an academic research paper. We have demonstrated an increase in publication rate during fellowship from an average of 0.7 manuscripts per fellow just before course inception to 3.7 manuscripts per fellow in the current graduating class. We highlight strategies for developing a writing course aligned with adult learning theory within three key areas: planning, pedagogy, and implementation. Planning strategies center around creating a case for change, including multiple stakeholders with diverse backgrounds, including the research mentor, and ensuring accountability among stakeholders. Pedagogical strategies focus on harnessing the power of experiential learning, considering a flipped classroom approach, and peer teaching to leverage social and cognitive congruence. Implementation strategies include breaking down the writing process into manageable tasks, organizing the writing process according to learner needs, using peer review processes to drive learning, and celebrating the accomplishments of learners within the course. These strategies represent broad initiatives that can be tailored to local training needs and instituted across a wide variety of teaching platforms.