Trends in research output among practicing US neurosurgeons over the last 40 years

Research output among neurosurgery residency applicants has increased in recent years. The authors sought to quantify the publication quantity of board-certified US neurosurgeons and to determine how publication quantity has changed over time.

Publication data were extracted from Scopus for all neurological surgeons listed as board certified since 1980 by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Distributions were analyzed on a decade-to-decade as well as continuous basis. Pre-board certification quantity of publication (general and first/senior author) was analyzed using multivariable regression. Univariate regression of pre-board certification rates was used to predict post-board certification rates.

For each decade since 1980, neurosurgeons have published more before receiving board certification than the decade prior, both in total as well as first/senior author publications. Neurosurgeons have also been publishing earlier as well as with increased coauthor counts (p < 0.001). A more recent date of board certification remains a significant and independent predictor of publication count when corrected for time since first publication and average coauthor counts (p < 0.001). Finally, the pre-board certification publication rate is an independent and significant predictor for the post-board certification publication rate (p < 0.001).

This study suggests that neurosurgeons have consistently published earlier in their careers and in increasingly higher quantities over time. This finding is in line with similar trends for neurosurgery applicants, showcasing increasing output across career stages, which has important impacts on the field.