Factors Impacting Academic Productivity and Satisfaction of Surgeon-scientists: A Nationwide Survey

To identify factors related to research success for academic surgeons.

Many recognize mounting barriers to scientific success for academic surgeons, but little is known about factors that predict success for individual surgeons.

A phase 1 survey was emailed to department chairpersons at highly funded U.S. departments of surgery. Participating chairpersons distributed a phase 2 survey to their faculty surgeons. Training and faculty-stage exposures and demographic data were collected and compared with participant-reported measures of research productivity. Five primary measures of productivity were assessed, including the number of grants applied for, grants funded, papers published, first/senior author papers published, and satisfaction with research.

Twenty chairpersons and 464 faculty surgeons completed the survey, and 444 faculty responses were included in the final analysis. Having a research-focused degree was significantly associated with more grants applied for [Doctor of Philosophy, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 6.93; Masters, IRR = 4.34] and funded (Doctor of Philosophy, IRR = 4.74; Masters, IRR = 4.01) compared with surgeons with only clinical degrees (all P < 0.01). Having a formal research mentor was significantly associated with more grants applied for (IRR = 1.57, P = 0.03) and higher satisfaction in research (IRR = 2.22, P < 0.01). Contractually protected research time was significantly associated with more grants applied for (IRR = 3.73), grants funded (IRR = 2.14), papers published (IRR = 2.12), first/senior authors published (IRR = 1.72), and research satisfaction (odds ratio = 2.15; all P < 0.01). The primary surgeon-identified barrier to research productivity was lack of protection from clinical burden.

Surgeons pursuing research-focused careers should consider the benefits of attaining a research-focused degree, negotiating for contractually protected research time, and obtaining formal research mentorship.