Scholarly Success Among Internal Medicine Residents in Canada

Abstract

Scholar activity is an integral component of postgraduate medical education in Canada. We describe the opportunities in research training among Canadian internal medicine (IM) programs, including program requirements and supportive infrastructure, as well as barriers and enablers of research success. Methods: An email survey was sent to all program directors (PDs) (n = 14) and core IM residents (n = 1119) from English-speaking IM Residency Training Programs in Canada to describe research support and productivity. We evaluated factors associated with achieving an abstract presentation at a scientific meeting or publication of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. Results: A total of 10 of 14 PDs (71%) and 308 of 1119 residents (28%) responded to the survey. Of 10 evaluable programs, 6 had a formal research curriculum and 8 had a mechanism of pairing residents with research mentors. A total of 236 (76%) residents completed a research project during core IM training; of those, 171 (55%) published (n = 84) or presented (n = 150) their research. A mechanism for linking residents with suitable research mentors, instruction on medical writing, and instruction on data analysis were associated with residents' achieving publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: Requirements for resident research are variable across Canadian IM programs. Instruction on medical writing and statistics, as well as a mechanism to pair residents with suitable research mentors, contribute to resident research success.