Publication of Medical Student Summer Research: A Multi-institutional Analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Scholarly Activity

Background:

• Summer research programs offer medical students valuable exposure to research and scholarly activity.
• Publication of summer research projects can significantly strengthen residency applications.
• Estimating publication rates and identifying predictors is crucial for program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the publication rate of medical student summer research projects.
• To identify factors predicting the progression of these projects to peer-reviewed publication.

Main Methods:

• 158 abstracts from five medical schools' summer research programs were identified.
• Publication outcomes were tracked using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
• Bivariate analysis correlated abstract characteristics with publication status.

Main Results:

• 34% of the 158 summer research projects resulted in publication.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis showed only 25% were published within three years of presentation.
• No abstract characteristics predicted publication, except funding disclosure, which negatively impacted publication hazard.

Conclusions:

• Summer research programs do not guarantee publication for most medical student projects.
• Tracking publication likelihood helps medical schools guide students to maximize research utility and prevent burnout.
• Further research on sustained mentorship is needed to improve project completion and publication rates.