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PubMed-Indexed Productivity of Matched Orthopedic Surgery Applicants Before and After Step 1 Scoring Transition
Yagni Patel1, Akshar Patel1, Arjun Bhatt1
1Orthopedic Surgery, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, USA.
Introduction:
While research productivity surrounding the Step 1 scoring transition has been assessed, the specific impact on verified PubMed-indexed publications (PMIDs) has not been assessed. No study has quantified what proportion of self-reported research items reported in National Resident Match Program (NRMP) data is actually PubMed-indexed. Addressing these gaps is essential to understanding how research output is evolving and represented in residency applications.
Objectives:
The objective of this study is to evaluate how the Step 1 pass/fail transition affected pre-residency research output among matched orthopedic surgery residents and whether medical school National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding independently predicts research productivity.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort study included 1,441 matched orthopedic surgery residents across two cycles: pre-transition (class of 2026) and post-transition (class of 2029). PubMed was used to identify total, first-author, in-specialty publications, and citation rates. Residents were categorized by medical school NIH funding and program tier. Mann-Whitney U tests compared groups, and negative binomial regression identified independent predictors.
Results:
Research productivity increased significantly following the Step 1 transition. Post-transition residents published nearly twice as many PubMed-indexed articles as their pre-transition peers (IRR = 2.13, p < 0.001), with similar gains in first-author and in-specialty work. NIH funding and program tier were independent predictors across all metrics. Citation rates did not differ. Only 12-15% of reported abstracts, presentations, and publications (APPs) were PMIDs.
Conclusion:
This study provides the first validated analysis of PubMed-indexed research output before and after the Step 1 transition. These findings can inform future studies across specialties as research output becomes increasingly central to residency selection.
