Program Website Evaluation Regarding Dedicated Research Years Offered in General Surgery Residency Programs in the...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Sciences
• Medical Education
• Residency Training

Background:

• Research is critical for advancing surgical sciences and improving patient care.
• Understanding research opportunities in general surgery residency programs is essential for trainee development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify research pathways, opportunities, and academic productivity within US general surgery residency programs.
• To assess the availability and structure of dedicated research years in accredited programs.

Main Methods:

• A web-based review of accredited US general surgery residency programs was conducted.
• Program websites were analyzed for research year details, faculty supervision, funding, and advanced degree opportunities.

Main Results:

• 127 (41%) programs offer a dedicated research year, with 27 (8%) making it mandatory.
• Only 7.02% of programs provided examples of resident publications, and 13.41% mentioned a resident research day.
• Limited information was available regarding research structure, funding (11.5%), and off-campus opportunities (3.19%).

Conclusions:

• While research years are offered, many general surgery residency programs lack structured research opportunities and comprehensive information.
• There is a need to expand and standardize research offerings and reporting within these programs to better support surgical innovation.