Progress and Impact of a Radiology Residency Research Track over 12 Years

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology Research
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Conventional radiology training may not adequately foster essential research skills for future physician-scientists.
• A dedicated radiology residency research track (RT) was established to cultivate academic radiologists.
• The RT offers a 4-year longitudinal curriculum and dedicated academic time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term impact and progress of the radiology residency research track over 12 years.
• To compare research output and career trajectories of RT graduates versus non-research track (NRT) graduates.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the RT in producing academic radiologists.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Doximity, PubMed, and Scopus to gather data on Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology residency graduates (2010-2022).
• Collected information on job positions (academic vs. private) and publication records for RT and NRT residents.
• Compared publication counts, citation metrics, and academic employment rates between the two groups.

Main Results:

• RT graduates had significantly more publications per resident during residency (7.2 vs. 1.1) and throughout their careers (31.7 vs. 7.3) compared to NRT graduates (p < 0.001).
• RT graduates also achieved higher average citations per graduate (552 vs. 123) (p < 0.001).
• A substantially higher percentage of RT graduates (92%) secured academic positions compared to NRT graduates (36%) (p = 0.005).

Conclusions:

• The radiology residency research track effectively produces academic radiologists.
• RT graduates demonstrate superior research productivity and are more likely to pursue academic careers.
• The RT serves as a successful pipeline for developing the next generation of research-focused academic radiologists.