Additional Graduate Degree Research Articles

International medical graduates in orthopaedic surgery: An opportunity to improve diversity and inclusion?

Background/aimsRacial and ethnic minorities are under-represented in orthopaedic surgery despite efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the specialty. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the surgical workforce and future residency pipeline. We further analyze IMG applicant qualifications relative to their US-based counterparts to assess the viability of recruiting IMG candidates as one strategy to advance diversity and inclusion in orthopaedic surgery. MethodsPhysician workforce data from the American Medical Association and residency match data from the National Resident Match Program were analyzed for Orthopaedic Surgery. Trends in the proportion of IMG applicants were compared with those from other specialties. Qualifications of applicants were compared including board exam scores, number of abstracts/publications, and additional graduate degrees. ResultsIn 2020, orthopaedic surgery had the lowest percentage of IMGs relative to otolaryngology (5.8 %, p < 0.001), neurosurgery (12.1 %, p < 0.001), obstetrics & gynecology (14.0 %, p < 0.001), and general surgery (19.1 %, p < 0.001). From 1986 to 2021, IMG Graduates who matched into orthopaedic surgery increased from 1 (0.3 %) to 8 (0.9 %). Compared to other surgical specialties, orthopaedic surgery had among the lowest annual rates of incoming IMG residents. In 2021, most respondents to the orthopaedic surgery residency program directors survey reported never selecting IMG applicants for interview (74 % for non-US IMG applicants and 53 % for US IMG applicants). From 2020 to 2021, non-US IMG applicants (17 %) and US IMG applicants (26 %) had lower match rates than DO Senior (74 %) and MD Senior (80 %) applicants (p < 0.001). In 2020, matched non-US IMGs had similar board scores as matched US MD Senior applicants, but more abstracts/publications. ConclusionThe recruitment of IMGs into orthopaedic surgery residency remains limited and lower than other surgical specialties. IMGs have similar board scores and more abstracts/publications, thus representing a potential pipeline for workforce diversity. More research is needed to understand the special needs of IMGs in the orthopaedic surgery match.

Demographics and Characteristics of US-Based Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship Program Directors: A 2023 Descriptive Analysis

Fellowship program directors (FPDs) play an important role in the development of fellows and learners, but little is known about their demographics. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the characteristics of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) FPDs. A retrospective cross-sectional study. Data obtained from publicly available information on official websites of the program directors studied. MIGS fellowship program directors. All US-based MIGS programs affiliated with the AAGL in 2023 were included. Information about FPD gender, medical school attended and graduation year, residency program attended and graduation year, any additional graduate degrees earned, fellowship programs completed, and the year of their appointment as FPD was collected through publicly available sources. Scholarly activity was measured by peer-reviewed articles and the Hirsch index. Of the 54 FPDs, 28 (51.85%) were female and 26 (48.15%) were male. Male FPDs were significantly older (54.6 ± 8.7 years) than female FPDs (46.2 ± 5.0 years), p < 0.05. Average age at appointment was 43.1 ± 6.7 years, with female FPDs being appointed at significantly younger ages (39.4 ± 5.1 years) compared to male FPDs (44.5 ± 6.8 years), p < 0.05. Male FPDs had statistically significant higher Hirsch indices (14 ± 11.4) compared to female FPDs (8 ± 5.8), p < 0.05. Of the FPDs who completed a fellowship, 27 (50.00%) did so in MIGS, eight (14.81%) in Gynecologic-Oncology, six (11.11%) in Urogynecology, and four (7.41%) in Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility. MIGS fellowships have a uniquely equal representation of male and female FPDs, as surgical subspecialties historically tend to be male dominant. Notably, there is diversity in the type of fellowship pursued by MIGS FPDs, with nearly half of FPDs completing a fellowship outside of MIGS. The reasons for differences in scholarly contributions, indicated by Hirsch index, of male versus female FPDs is unclear.

Medical Students' Perceptions of Clinical and Research Training: An International Needs Assessment of 26 Countries.

Despite calls to incorporate research training into medical school curriculum, minimal research has been conducted to elucidate trends in research knowledge, opportunities, and involvement globally. This study aims to: (1) assess medical students' perceptions of the level of training they received on research based on their medical school training, and (2) evaluate the obstacles related to conducting research as part of medical students' training. A 94-question, bilingual survey designed by a small focus group of individuals from medical schools across the globe and administered to medical students from different parts of the world, distributed via social media networks (Twitter, Now X, Facebook) and email distributions via international partnerships from November 1 to December 31, 2020. The survey collected demographic information including age, gender, medical institution and country, degree, year in training, clinical rotations completed, plans for specialization, and additional graduate degrees completed. Statistical analysis included a summary of survey participant characteristics, and a comparison between regions, with a variety of comparison and logistic regression models used. A total of 318 medical students from 26 countries successfully completed the survey. Respondents were majority female (60.1%), from Latin America (LA) (53.1%), North America (NA) (28.6%), and Other world regions (Other) (18.2%). Students felt research was an important component of medical training (87.7%), although many reported lacking research support from their institution (47.5%). There were several reported barriers to research, including lack of research opportunities (69.4%), lack of mentors (56.6%), lack of formal training (54.6%), and barriers due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (49.3%). Less frequent were barriers related to financial resources (41.6%), physical resources (computer or internet access) (18%), and English language ability (6.9%). Students from Latin America and Other were more likely to report a desire to pursue research later in their medical careers compared with students from North America. Despite significant interest in research, medical students globally report a lack of formal research training, opportunities, and several barriers to conducting research, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the need for student research training internationally and the role of further regional-specific and institutional-specific evaluation of research training needs.

Analysis of Academic Accomplishments and Demographics for Elected Presidents of National Orthopedic Surgery Organizations in the United States.

This study analyzed the academic accomplishments and demographics of elected presidents of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). Curriculum vitae and internet-based resources were reviewed to collect demographics, training characteristics, bibliometrics, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding of contemporary presidents (1990-2020). Eighty presidents were included. Most presidents were men (97%), and 4% of presidents were non-White (3% Black and 1% Hispanic). Few had an additional graduate degree (4% MBA, 3% MS, 1% MPH, 1% PhD). Ten orthopedic surgery residency programs trained 47% of these presidents. Most had fellowship training (59%), and the top three were hand surgery (11%), pediatric orthopedics (11%), and adult reconstruction (10%). Twenty-nine presidents (36%) participated in a traveling fellowship. The mean age at appointment was 58±5 years, which was 27 years since residency graduation. The mean h-index was 36±23, resulting from 150±126 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Orthopedic surgery presidents had more peer-reviewed manuscripts (150±126) than chairs (73±81) and program directors (27±32) (P<.001). AOA presidents had the highest mean h-index (42±21) compared with AAOS (38±27) and ABOS (25±16) presidents (P=.035). Nineteen presidents had NIH funding (24%). More presidents had NIH funding in the AOA (39%) and AAOS (25%) than the ABOS (0%) (P=.007). Orthopedic surgery presidents possess high levels of scholarly output. AOA presidents had the highest h-index values and prevalence of NIH funding. Females and racial minorities remain underrepresented at the highest levels of leadership. [Orthopedics. 2024;47(1):e45-e51.].

Identification of Factors that May Predict Career Trajectory Among Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellows.

There is modest literature regarding fellowship applicant factors that may predict future career achievement. We aim to characterize neuro-ophthalmology fellows and identify and analyze characteristics that may predict future career trajectory. Data, including demographic information, academic background, scholarly activities, and practice information, were collected using publicly available sources, on individuals who completed neuro-ophthalmology fellowships from 2015 to 2021. Summary statistics describing the cohort were calculated. Prefellowship characteristics were compared with postfellowship characteristics to evaluate which prefellowship characteristics may predict postfellowship academic productivity and career achievement. Data were collected on 174 individuals (41.6% men, 58.4% women). Sixty-five percent were residency-trained in ophthalmology, 31% neurology, 1.7% both, and 1.7% pediatric neurology. Fifty-eight percent completed residency in the US, 8% in Canada, 32% internationally, and 2% in multiple locations. Among those practicing in the US/Canada, 63.8% practice at academic centers, 35.3% private practice, and 0.9% at both. Thirty-one percent completed additional subspecialty training and 17.8% additional graduate degrees. Completion of additional fellowship training or graduate degrees, and publication of more papers before fellowship, correlated with later academic productivity. There were no significant correlations between completion of an additional fellowship or graduate degree with current practice environment or attainment of leadership roles. There were no significant correlations between total publishing productivity prefellowship and practice environment or leadership roles postfellowship. Additional graduate degrees/subspecialty training, and prefellowship academic productivity, correlated with later academic productivity among neuro-ophthalmologists, suggesting that these metrics may be helpful in predicting future academic performance among fellowship applicants.

Gender Discrepancies in Middle Author Publications in US Academic General Surgery

IntroductionTo explore gender discrepancies in publications at general surgery departments, we performed a cross-sectional comparing the number of women and men at each academic rank and their number of first author (FA), middle author (MA), last author (LA), and total publications. MethodsThirty academic general surgery departments were randomly selected. For each faculty, we tabulated: first, middle, last names, gender, academic rank, educational leadership, year of medical school graduation, and additional graduate degrees. Bibliography, H-index, and citations were downloaded from the Scopus database. ResultsOne thousand three hundred twenty-six faculty sampled, 881 (66.4%) men and 445 (33.5%) women. Men outnumbered women at all ranks, with increasing disparity at higher ranks. Men outnumbered women in all subspecialties—largest difference in transplant surgery (84.4% versus 15.6%, P < 0.001). Men at all ranks had more MA publications: assistant professor (rate ratio 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.43, P = 0.024), associate professor (1.65; 1.31-2.06, P < 0.001), and professor (1.50; 1.20-1.91, P = 0.008). Men associate professors had more LA publications (1.74; 1.34-2.37, P < 0.001). No differences found in FA publications at any rank, nor LA publications at assistant professor and professor ranks. At subspecialty level, men in surgical oncology (1.95; 1.55-2.45, P < 0.001) and transplant surgery (1.70; 1.09-2.66, P = 0.02) had more MA publications. ConclusionsWhile FA and LA publications did not differ significantly across genders, the largest difference lies in MA publications, beginning at junior ranks and persisting with seniority. Discrepancies in MA publications may reflect gender discrepancies in collaborative opportunities, hence total publications should be used cautiously when determining academic productivity.

Influence of socioeconomic status and university’s internal environment factors on university-choice decisions of postgraduate students in Vietnam

Postgraduate students' university selection decisions are influenced not only by the students themselves or their families, but also by internal university factors. This study evaluated the reasons for pursuing postgraduate education and investigated how family’s socioeconomic status and the university’s internal environment factors influenced postgraduate students’ university choice decisions. The study surveyed 401 first-year postgraduate students across five member universities of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City using a questionnaire and five semi-structured interviews. The empirical data revealed many reasons behind respondents’ decisions, with the mean value ranging from 3.49 to 4.14, including reasons such as the desire to continue to learn and progress professionally, to obtain an additional graduate degree, passion for the graduated field, to pursue their own profession, the opportunity to meet and socialize with new friends, to get a job or find a better one, and to change the course of life. In addition, factors such as socioeconomic status (such as family income) and the university's internal environment (such as curricula, facilities, admissions, marketing and communication, service attitude, and learning environment) have also have different positive and negative effects on their judgments about which universities to select. The study also discussed suggestions for higher education managers and other stakeholders.

Diversity in Leadership at Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowships in the United States.

Musculoskeletal oncology fellowship directors (MOFDs) possess the unique ability to influence treatment paradigms in musculoskeletal oncology through teaching and research. Currently, the characteristicsthat define this important role including demographics, training characteristics, research activity, and grant funding are poorly defined. A list of musculoskeletal oncology fellowship programs was obtained from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship Match. Bibliometric data including the h-index were abstracted from Scopus. Demographics, training, and federal grant characteristics were collected from academic websites. Comparisons were made using t-tests and data were presented as means ± SD. The average age at the appointment was 41±9 years and most were male (80%) and Caucasian (85%). Few had an additional graduate degree (10% MS, 5% PhD). The mean h-index was 23±15 resulting from 91±56 publications. There was a positive correlation between age and h-index (r=0.398, p=0.082). Four MOFDs (20%) had at least one National Institutes of Health research grant. Sex, race, additional graduate degree, and procurement of NIH funding were not associated with higher h-index values. Full professors had higher h-index values than assistant/associate professors (p=0.014). Women and racial minorities are underrepresented among leadership positions in musculoskeletal oncology fellowship programs. This study can help provide a benchmark for departments in orthopedic surgery and aspiring orthopedic surgeons for MOFD positions.

Comparison of Male and Female Surgeons’ Experiences With Gender Across 5 Qualitative/Quantitative Domains

A growing body of literature has been developed with the goal of attempting to understand the experiences of female surgeons. While it has helped to address inequities and promote important programmatic improvements, work remains to be done. To explore how practicing male and female surgeons' experiences with gender compare across 5 qualitative/quantitative domains: career aspirations, gender-based discrimination, mentor-mentee relationships, perceived barriers, and recommendations for change. This national concurrent mixed-methods survey of Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) compared differences between male and female FACS. Differences between female FACS and female members of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) were also explored. A randomly selected 3:1 sample of US-based male and female FACS was surveyed between January and June 2020. Female AWS members were surveyed in May 2020. Self-reported gender. Self-reported experiences with career aspirations (quantitative), gender-based discrimination (quantitative), mentor-mentee relationships (quantitative), perceived barriers (qualitative), and recommendations for change (qualitative). A total of 2860 male FACS (response rate: 38.1% [2860 of 7500]) and 1070 female FACS (response rate: 42.8% [1070 of 2500]) were included, in addition to 536 female AWS members. Demographic characteristics were similar between randomly selected male and female FACS, with the notable exception that female FACS were less likely to be married (720 [67.3%] vs 2561 [89.5%]; nonresponse-weighted P < .001) and have children (660 [61.7%] vs 2600 [90.9%]; P < .001). Compared with female FACS, female AWS members were more likely to be younger and hold additional graduate degrees (320 [59.7%] were married; 238 [44.4%] had children). FACS of both genders acknowledged positive and negative aspects of dealing with gender in a professional setting, including shared experiences of gender-based harassment, discrimination, and blame. Female FACS were less likely to have had gender-concordant mentors. They were more likely to emphasize the importance of gender when determining career aspirations and prioritizing future mentor-mentee relationships. Moving forward, female FACS emphasized the importance of avoiding competition among female surgeons. They encouraged male surgeons to acknowledge gender bias and admit their potential role. Male FACS encouraged male and female surgeons to treat everyone the same. Experiences with gender are not limited to supportive female surgeons. The results of this study emphasize the importance of recognizing the voices of all stakeholders involved when striving to promote workforce diversity and the related need to develop quality improvement/surgical education initiatives that enhance inclusion through open, honest discourse.

What are the academic and demographic characteristics of orthopaedic spine surgery division chiefs?

BackgroundTo our knowledge no analysis of academic orthopedics division chiefs (DC) exists in the current orthopedic literature. Serving as a Division Chief may be a career milestone or an opportunity to lead and transition to additional leadership roles. Our objective is to answer the following questions (1) Are there academic characteristics common to Spine divisions chiefs? (2) Are there demographic characteristics common to Spine division chiefs? (3) Do most Spine division chiefs train at certain fellowships? MethodsAllopathic residency program websites were used to locate DC and Division Co-Chiefs (DCC). Academic characteristics evaluated included: H-index, academic rank, number of degrees, additional leadership titles, the availability of fellowship training and service as past/current society president and participation in travelling fellowships. Demographic characteristics including gender and race were collected. Years since completions of fellowship and which fellowship program the DC/DCC trained at were collected. Results102 DC/DCC were identified and had an average H-index of 22.1. The majority (48%) had an academic rank of Professor, 29% Associate Professor, 16% Assistant Professor and 8% rank could not be identified. 45% had additional leadership positions within their department and 18% had additional graduate degrees. Two institutions had designations of co-chiefs. The majority (57%) offered spine fellowships at their institution. The majority of DC were males (99%) and White (72.5%). On average the DC/DCC were 19.5 years past their fellowship completion. 19% participated in at least one travelling fellowship and 14% served as a president of a Spine or Orthopaedic Society. ConclusionsSpine surgery division chiefs are 99% male, with a rank of Professor and trained at select fellowship programs. Nearly half of spine surgery division chiefs held concurrent administrative roles in the department and 14% have served as President of a spine or Orthopaedic society. There is room to Improve on the gender and ethnic/racial diveristy of spine surgery division chief leadership.

A step toward equal representation? A cross-sectional analysis of the gender composition of neurosurgical editorial boards from 2000 to 2020.

At present, females constitute less than 10% of neurosurgeons in the US, despite representing approximately half of all medical students. Multiple barriers have been described for females entering the neurosurgical field, particularly academic neurosurgery. Understanding the environment that female neurosurgeons face and any potential barriers preventing career advancement is needed to recruit, promote, and retain females in neurosurgery. The gender composition of editorial boards for 5 high-impact neurosurgery journals was analyzed from 2000 to 2020. The names of editorial board members were obtained directly from the journal administration, physical copies of the published journal, or publicly available data through each journal's website. The gender, degrees, academic titles, H-index, and country were determined for each individual and statistical tests were performed to identify significant differences. Of the 466 identified individuals that served on at least one editorial board between 2000 and 2020, there were 36 females (7.7%) and 430 males (92.3%). There were no significant differences between males and females serving on multiple editorial boards. Most females possessed an additional graduate degree (58.3%), while only one-third of males (33.5%) obtained such a degree (p = 0.002). In addition, males had significantly higher average H-indices than females (p = 0.002). These trends were also observed when analyzing only US-based editorial board members. Although females were more likely overall to be identified as associate professors, males were more likely to be appointed as full professors (p = 0.001); this trend did not remain true in the US-based cohort. When analyzing the editorial boards for individual journals, all 5 journals experienced an increase of female representation since 2000 or since their inception after 2000. The highest proportion of females for a single journal was 27.3% in 2020. All other journals ranged from 11.0% to 13.5% in 2020. When entering the field of neurosurgery, females continue to face significant social and academic barriers. While the proportion of females on editorial boards for neurosurgery journals in 2020 is consistent with the proportion of practicing female neurosurgeons, there is a statistically significantly higher likelihood that females possess additional graduate degrees and lower H-indices compared to their male counterparts. The authors encourage neurosurgical journals to continue expanding female representation on editorial boards.

Academic, Leadership, and Demographic Characteristics of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Division Chiefs in the United States.

Introduction:Division chiefs (DCs) play an integral role within the department, making critical decisions and helping shape the future of both the division and the department. This study aimed to investigate the demographic characteristics and scholarly work of DCs in academic orthopaedic sports medicine division in the United States.Methods:Orthopaedic residency programs at academic centers were identified using the Association of American Medical Colleges' Electronic Residency Application Service. DCs were identified using the program's respective websites where data points such as sex, race/ethnicity, fellowship training institution, time since graduating fellowship, academic rank, number of degrees, and additional leadership titles were collected. Scopus database was used to determine h-indices.Results:From the 191 programs identified, 100 had a DC for the sports medicine subspecialty division, and 66 programs offered a sports medicine fellowship. Most DCs (96%) were men. The racial/ethnic demographics of the DCs were mostly White (86%), followed by Asian (11%), African American (1%), Hispanic/Latino (1%), and mixed ethnicity (1%). On average, the DCs were 19.6 years past their fellowship completion. The average h-index was 21.2. Many (48%) had an academic rank of professor, 28% associate professor, and 12% assistant professor. Four held additional graduate degrees. The fellowship programs that trained the most DCs were Hospital for Special Surgery (11), Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (8), University of Pittsburgh (7), American Sports Medicine Institution (5), Cleveland Clinic (5), Cincinnati Sports Medicine (4), Massachusetts General Hospital (4), and Steadman Hawkins Clinic (4).Discussion:DCs in academic orthopaedic surgery plays a crucial role in the department and is a topic that is understudied. A lack of diversity exists among DCs in academic Sports Medicine in orthopaedics. The position is held predominately by White men with a rank of either full or associate professor and extensive leadership experience. More efforts are needed to increase the diversity of sports medicine leadership within academic orthopaedic programs in the United States.

Predictors of future research productivity among ophthalmology residents

ABSTRACT Purpose To investigate the characteristics of first-year ophthalmology residents associated with high research productivity in twelve years. Methods All first-year ophthalmology residents in the United States (US) in 2009 listed by institutional websites were identified. Publications were obtained from Scopus and Google Scholar, h-indices were calculated, and medical school characteristics such as research productivity, region, rank, and average USMLE Steps 1 and 2 scores were obtained from National Institutes of Health, US Census Bureau, and US News. Results Data were obtained on 70% (316/453) of residents; most were male, had Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees, and graduated from medical schools in the US or Canada. Having an additional graduate degree [OR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.07–8.67], between 1 and 3 publications [OR: 4.16, 95% CI: 2.22–7.79], or 4 or more publications [OR: 14.27, 95% CI: 3.13–64.94] were associated with higher future research productivity. Conclusion Graduate degrees and publication count were key predictors of future research productivity among ophthalmology residents in the US.

Trends in Leadership at Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowships.

Pediatric orthopaedic fellowship directors (FDs) have a valuable impact on the education of trainees and future leaders in the field. There is currently no research on the characteristics of pediatric orthopaedic FDs. Programs were identified using the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America fellowship directory. Operative, nonoperative, and specialty programs were included. Data was collected through Qualtrics survey, e-mail, telephone, and online searches. Variables included demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity), Hirsch index (h-index) as a measure of research productivity, graduate education, residency and fellowship training, years of hire at current institution and as FD, and leadership roles. Fifty-five FDs were identified. The majority (49/55, 89%) were male and 77% (27/35) were Caucasian. The mean age at survey was 51.1±8.2 years. The mean h-index was 17.2. Older age correlated with higher h-index (r=0.48, P=0.0002). The average duration from fellowship graduation to FD appointment was 9.6±6.7 and 6.9±6.1 years from institutional hire. Sixteen FDs (29%) had additional graduate level degrees. Almost all (52/55, 95%) FDs completed orthopaedic surgery residencies and all graduated fellowship training. Twenty-nine percent (16/55) completed more than 1 fellowship. Most FDs (51/55, 93%) completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Ten FDs (18%) completed pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowships that included spine-specific training. One-third of all current FDs were fellowship-trained at either Boston Children's Hospital (9/55, 16%) or Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (9/55, 16%). Pediatric orthopaedic FDs are typically early-career to mid-career when appointed, with a strong research background. Nearly a third completed additional graduate degrees or multiple fellowships. Although male dominated, there are more female FDs leading pediatric orthopaedic programs compared with adult reconstruction, trauma, and spine fellowships. As fellowships continue to grow and diversify, this research will provide a baseline to determine changes in FD leadership.

Trends in the Academic Credentials of Matched Dermatology Residency Applicants.

IntroductionResearch can be used to enhance the competitiveness of an application and is associated with a successful match. However, current reports regarding the publication record among prospective dermatology residents may be inaccurate. We sought to accurately assess the research credentials of matched dermatology residency candidates at the time of application.MethodsWe performed a bibliometric analysis to identify published articles of 1152 matched dermatology candidates and calculated the h-index of each applicant at the time of application. Details on article type, first authorship, and dermatology-relatedness of articles were collected.ResultsThe median number of publications was two and the median h-index was 0. At the time of residency application, one-quarter of matched dermatology candidates (24%, n=278) possessed no publications. Over time, the median number of publications (R 0.10, p<0.001) and h-index (R 0.07, p=0.014) of matched applicants increased. The proportion of first-authored articles, dermatology-related papers, and each article type remained constant across application cycles (p>0.0500). An additional graduate degree, completion of a research fellowship, and graduation from a non-US medical school were independently associated with greater research credentials (p<0.0500).ConclusionsEach year, applicants are publishing more articles and have a greater scholarly impact than in previous application cycles. However, the verified publication volume of matched dermatology applicants is strikingly lower than the values reported in national statistics.

Attainment of an Additional Graduate Degree Is Associated With Sustained Scholarly Activity Beyond Surgical Residency

To determine whether attainment of an additional graduate-level degree during general surgery residency, such as an MSc, MPH, MBA, or PhD, is associated with increased research productivity beyond completion of training. Observational cohort study comparing publication productivity of general surgery residency graduates who did and did not obtain a degree. PubMed queries and the Web of Science Core Collection were used to capture publication metrics. Graduate characteristics, including degree attainment, were obtained from an institutional database. Practice webpages were reviewed to designate an academic surgical practice, defined as an assistant, associate, or full professorship appointment. Single academic general surgery residency program. Categorical general surgery residency graduates who performed at least 1 year of dedicated research. 1768 total publications, representing 1500 unique publications, were authored by 54 residents, of which 18 (33.3%) residents attained an additional graduate-level degree during dedicated research. 1369 (91.3%) publications had identifiable Journal Impact Factors and citation data. Degree attainers were more likely to be female (55.6% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.03) and spend more time in dedicated research (mean 2.2 vs. 1.8 years, p = 0.02). Overall, degree attainers published more frequently during residency (median 4.4 vs. 2.1 publications/year, p < 0.001) and fellowship (median 2.0 vs. 1.0 publications/year, p = 0.046). Analysis of the first 4 post-training years demonstrated degree attainers produced 1.2 more publications per year among all graduates (2.3 vs. 1.1 publications/year, p = 0.02) and 1.6 more publications per year among graduates practicing academic surgery (3.3 vs. 1.7 publications/year, p = 0.02). There were no differences in the Journal Impact Factor or publication citations per year among degree and nondegree attaining graduates. Attainment of an additional graduate-level degree was associated with increased research productivity that was sustained beyond surgical residency. Programs with the goal of training academic surgeons should support professional degrees during dedicated research years.

Lack of Additional Advanced Graduate Training by Orthopaedic Surgeons in Academic Practice: Current Employment and Recruitment Trends.

Background:Orthopaedic surgery is ever changing and depends on diverse technical and intellectual skill sets. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the percentage of academic orthopaedic surgeons with additional graduate degrees in the United States.Methods:Data including advanced degree(s) (eg, PhD, MS, MBA, MPH, JD, and DVM), academic rank, leadership position, subspecialty, years since training completion, and sex were collected from websites for all academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States. Univariate analyses were performed to evaluate for differences in demographic data based on the advanced degree status. Data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) were used to characterize graduate degree-holding US senior medical students who ranked orthopaedic surgery first relative to peers without additional advanced degrees and to applicants who ranked other specialties first.Results:Of 4,519 faculty at 175 academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States, 7.1% held a graduate degree in addition to a medical doctorate. There was no difference in the percentage of faculty who held departmental leadership positions (P = 0.62) or who were full professors (P = 0.66) based on holding an additional graduate degree. Of 678 US senior applicants who ranked orthopaedic surgery first and successfully matched into the specialty in 2018, 12.5% held an additional graduate degree and 1.3% were MD-PhDs. Orthopaedic surgery had the second lowest percentage of matched medical students with additional advanced degrees, which was significantly lower than the top 10 specialties (range 16.1% to 21.6%; P < 0.05). Orthopaedic surgery recruited 1.6% of all MD-PhD applicants in 2018.Discussion:Few academic orthopaedic surgery faculty and admitted orthopaedic residency candidates have additional graduate school training. The low percentage of orthopaedic faculty and trainees with additional advanced degrees relative to other specialties may represent a missed opportunity to recruit individuals with diverse skills to advance the field of orthopaedic surgery.

Residency Program Directors of United States Ophthalmology Programs: A Descriptive Analysis

To analyze the academic background, scholarly achievements, and demographic characteristics of all US ophthalmology residency program directors (PDs). Cross-sectional study. Online search of publicly available resources conducted from February 16, 2019, to February 26, 2019. 116 ophthalmology residency PDs. Main outcome measurements were demographic and academic data. A total of 116 program directors were analyzed. Eighty-four of 116 (72%) PDs were male. The average age was 50.0 years old. The mean age at appointment was 42.9 years old. Ninety-three percent graduated from an American medical school, and 97% received an MD degree. Twenty percent of PDs completed an additional graduate degree, most commonly a master's degree (7 of 23) and doctor of philosophy (7 of 23). Seventy-eight percent completed a fellowship, with the most frequent in glaucoma (24%), cornea and external diseases (22%), and neuroophthalmology (21%). The mean number of publications according to PubMed was 17.6 (range, 0-92). There were no significant differences between the average number of publications by male PDs and those by female PDs (19.2 ± 20.5 vs. 13.5 ± 23.1, respectively; P= 0.21). On average, the H-index was 8.7 (range, 0-35) and was higher in male than in female PDs (9.8 ± 8.3 vs. 5.4 ± 4.0, respectively; P= 0.01). Ophthalmology PDs are predominantly male with fellowship training in glaucoma, cornea, or neuro-ophthalmology. Women remain underrepresented, and future efforts should be aimed at addressing this disparity.

Chairs of United States Academic Ophthalmology Departments: A Descriptive Analysis and Trends

To characterize and analyze the profile of United States (US) academic ophthalmology department chairs. Cross-sectional study. Setting: Web search of publicly accessible sources. One hundred and eleven USophthalmology chairs. Demographic and academic data. Of the 111 chairs reviewed, 90% are male. Mean age of chairs is 59 years, and mean age at time of appointment is 47 years. Ninety-two percent of chairs graduated from an American medical school. Twenty-eight percent of chairs also have additional graduate degrees: 8% a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, 15% a master's degree, and 5% both. Ninety-five percent of chairs completed a clinical fellowship, most frequently in cornea (25%), vitreoretinal surgery (23%), and glaucoma (21%). The 3 programs that trained the largest number of chairs are Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Wilmer Eye Institute, and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Thirty-two percent of chairs were previously trained in the program they currently head, more commonly as a resident (28%) than as a fellow (5%). The estimated mean number of publications per chair is 108 (range, 0-850) and the mean h-index is 24. Twenty-seven programs exchanged chairs from 2014 to 2017. The characteristics of appointed chairs are no different than those of recently retired chairs. Ophthalmology chairs remain predominately male, most often specializing in cornea, vitreoretinal surgery, or glaucoma. Most chairs tend to be prolific authors whose careers have placed an emphasis on research; however, a lack of demonstrated research experience does not preclude chairmanship in certain US programs.

Beyond the MLS: Reflections on the role of professional and continued education for academic library liaisons

ABSTRACTThis research article is based on a national survey, conducted in 2016, concerning the value of an advanced subject degree in addition to a master's degree in library science (MLS/MLIS) for liaison librarians. In the article we discuss perceptions academic librarians have about their own professional education, the potential merit (or lack thereof) of an additional graduate degree, and the relationship and interdependence between both degrees as perceived by those who have obtained them. Two groups of academic librarians are evaluated: those with both an MLS/MLIS and an advanced subject degree, and those with solely an MLS/MLIS degree. This study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the current population related to our research. The overarching goal of this study is to ask questions and stimulate conversation about the value of an advanced degree and how academic library liaisons can acquire and develop skills required to successfully serve as liaison and subject librarians.