EVALUATING A RESIDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM: THE EXPERIENCE AND THE OUTPUT

Abstract

Objectives The Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Toronto mandates the completion of a resident research project. A thorough evaluation of the Resident Research Program is underway with the goal of improving the program, resident experiences and quality of research output. Methods A web-based survey of 71 current and 55 former residents was conducted. Surveyed information included prior research work, experiences working on a resident research project, research productivity in residency, and general attitudes about the research program. In addition, a bibliographic database was compiled for each resident, including publications and presentations. Results Forty current residents and 18 former residents responded. A total of 93 projects were ongoing or completed. Over half of our residents are involved in two or more projects and many spend 6 or more hours per week on their projects. Most respondents agreed that adding knowledge to the specialty is a motivator and having faculty who do research promotes scholarly activity. Major barriers included time constraints, lack of mentorship and lack of statistical knowledge. The most common project types were retrospective studies, and the fields of study represented all the major fields in the specialty. To date, 40% of respondents had published and 60% had presented their project. Conclusions Residents in our department are successfully engaged in research projects that lead to publication and presentation. The Research program is valued by most, but not all residents. These results will inform a redesign of our resident research program.