Average Number Of Publications Research Articles

Updated Research Publication Standards and Expectations for Successful Matching in Urology Residency Following Step 1 Scoring Changes.

To analyze the research productivity of 2024 urology residency applicants and its impact on match outcomes following the transition of the Step 1 exam to a Pass/Fail scoring system. We conducted a retrospective review of PubMed-indexed publications for 98 applicants matched to the top 25 urology residency programs, as ranked by Doximity. Metrics such as the number of publications, citations, journal impact factors, and authorship rank were analyzed. Statistical comparisons of publication rates between top-ranked and lower-ranked programs were made using independent samples t-tests. The average number of publications per applicant was 5.95, with those entering top-ranked programs exhibiting higher research outputs. Most publications were found in journals like "Urology" and "Urology Practice." A significant portion of the research was published in the final year of medical school, indicating a push for paper acceptances prior to the urology application deadline date. The increase in research output among applicants reflects the shifting weights of factors important for residency competitiveness following the Step 1 Pass/Fail scoring changes. Early engagement and mentorship in research have been shown to increase the research output of students. The findings of this study clarify the research expectations of matching successfully into a top urology program and can be used by both medical students and program directors in the current and upcoming cycles.

Propagation and molecular analysis in Dioscorea: a bibliometric review

Species of the genus Dioscorea, popularly called yams, are notable primarily for their nutritional value and the production of bioactive compounds. Considering the importance of this genus for the food and pharmaceutical industries, the present study aimed to understand the state of the art in the area of propagation and molecular characterization of the genus, based on bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrics was the basic methodological tool used, and the data were sourced from the Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM databases. A total of 69 publications on the propagation of the Dioscorea genus were analyzed. The average number of publications per year was 4.69, with the highest number of publications observed in 2011 and an annual growth rate of 4.25%. The most developed themes were those related to propagation through in vitro cultivation. Regarding molecular characterization, 44 publications were analyzed. The average number of publications was 5.37, with the highest number of publications observed in 2017 and an annual growth rate of 7.11%. The most important themes were related to the genetic diversity of species of the genus. This review maps the existing studies and identifies gaps in the research field on the propagation and molecular characterization of species of the genus Dioscorea.

Visualization of the Stingless Bee Research in Southeast Asia Region through Bibliometric Analysis using Scopus Database from 1984 to 2022

The increasing activity of meliponiculture which plays a role as a natural agricultural pollinator as well as the production of stingless bee honey over time has encouraged high-impact research efforts around the world. Stingless bee honey is well known as a "superfood" product and has received significant attention due to its various applications such as the treatment of various diseases both traditionally and clinically. In this context, understanding interesting topics and expanding the network of collaborations is desirable to advance research towards integrated efforts, moreover, the Southeast Asia region (SEA) is one of the major revenue contributors to the global market, especially stingless bees. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the research literature on stingless bee honey in the SEA region by conducting a bibliometric analysis of research papers in the Scopus database. A total of 543 journal articles published between 1984–2022 were obtained. The results have shown that since 2008, the average number of publications has increased by 35 articles per year, resulting in a steady increase in the number of publications accumulated until 2022. Only six countries are listed and almost 60% of total SEA publications are contributed by researchers from Malaysia, followed by Indonesia and Thailand which contribute 21% and 15%, respectively. In addition, among the top 10 most productive affiliates from every country in SEA, seven are universities in Malaysia, while Indonesia and Thailand have only one. The intellectual structure of research on stingless honey has been studied to offer a basic insight into the latest developments in this field of research, which will provide researchers and academics with broad guidelines for conducting further research in related fields.

430 Academic Productivity of Neurosurgical Trainees Is Associated With Productivity of Gender Concordant Faculty

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship disparity is a commonly cited barrier to female neurosurgery trainees. The extent to which gender concordance with faculty impacts trainees’ academic productivity is underexplored. METHODS: The website of each ACGME accredited neurological surgery residency program was queried to identify the name and gender of all current (2022-2023) neurosurgical residents and academic faculty. Academic productivity, defined as the number of publications per person between 2021-2023 in 15 neurosurgery journals, was compiled into an original database. For each program, the average number of publications per female and male faculty and resident were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 959 faculty (female: 121, 12.6%) and 790 residents (female: 179, 22.7%) across 112 programs were identified. Forty (38%) programs had no female faculty; 32% had no female residents. The absence of female faculty was not statistically associated with the absence of female residents. In programs with only male faculty, academic productivity of male attendings was negatively associated with that of female residents (-0.47, p 0.0104). CONCLUSIONS: Academic productivity of male faculty correlates with productivity of male residents in their program; this relationship is not observed between faculty and residents of opposite genders. In programs with only male faculty, faculty productivity is inversely correlated with productivity of female residents. These findings reveal limited collaboration between residents and faculty of the opposite gender as a potential barrier to academic productivity. Furthermore, efforts to promote effective cross-sex collaboration could increase productivity for all members of neurosurgery divisions.

Structured spine fellowship programs in India: Current trends and perceptions

Abstract Introduction: The present study aimed to assess the quality of training provided during Structured Spine Fellowships (SSF) and explore the expectations of candidates. The study sought to investigate the utility of SSFs and emphasized the importance of evaluating the fellowship center’s curriculum as well as trainees’ surgical and theoretical competency. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 100 spine surgeons, 66 from Fellow of the National Board and 34 from the Association of Spine Surgeons of India, using a questionnaire. The survey had three parts, assessing pre-fellowship demographics, feedback on the fellowship conducted, and post-fellowship settlement. Results: The hands-on experience was the most important factor affecting the choice of center, and the average work time was 14 h per day. Nearly 50% of fellows were doing independent cervical dorsal and lumbar surgeries by the end of the fellowship. Academics were mainly in the form of regular case presentations for 55% of fellows, and the average number of publications done was 1.6. Most fellows settled near their native city, practiced exclusive spine surgery, and did a mean of 2.6 additional fellowships. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the structured spine fellowship programs in India. The findings highlight the need for standardization and quality control measures in these programs to ensure that they provide a comprehensive and uniform education to the fellows. The study also underscores the importance of ongoing evaluation and assessment to improve the effectiveness of these programs in producing skilled and competent spine surgeons.

Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine: Annual Update on Bibliometric Indicators Including Scopus Quartile (Q3)

There are three main citation databases in the world (Web of Science, SCImago and Scopus) determining journal quartiles annually according to their own datasets and methodologies. The aim of this editorial is to analyze bibliometric indicators of the journal “Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine” (BRM) in Scopus. According to CiteScore 2022, BRM ranked 101/146 in the subject category MEDICINE-REHABILITATION which placed BRM in Q3. Over a past year, BRM increased its citation 51-fold, and its CiteScore 8-fold. In the period of 2019–2022 more than 50 authors from almost 20 countries published in BRM. During the same period almost half of BRM articles received citations not only in Russian journals indexed in Scopus but also in sources from 13 other countries. Besides, BRM produces twice the average number of publications per year in its subject category. Thus, such bibliometric picture of BRM in combination with open access and no article processing charges, demonstrates a strong editorial position of the journal and a clear competitive advantage for authors.

Mexpert: An Algorithm for Finding Cross-disciplinary Experts Using Data Mining Techniques

Multidisciplinary research is the practice of bringing together experts from different disciplines or fields of study to work collaboratively on a common problem, project, or research question. This study proposes an expert finding algorithm, namely Mexpert, to bridge the gap between experts using data mining techniques. Our method has three steps. The first process is data preparation, which involves extracting information from research papers. The first process includes collecting data, extracting keywords, and discovering topics. The second process involves creating a model to group experts with similar knowledge and expertise. The last process involves analyzing the expert profiles using their experience in terms of h-index, average number of publications and total citations, followed by profile ranking. The corpus contains 17,679 papers obtained from SCOPUS. The experimental results reveal that there are four clusters out of 7 fields. We analyzed each cluster obtained from Mexpert and found that most cluster members published multidisciplinary research papers together. These results suggested that our approach can be applied to find a group of experts with different expertise.

Concept of Computational Fluid Dynamics Design and Analysis Tool for Food Industry: A Bibliometric

Technology that is currently in demand is CFD. By simulating fluid flow around a product on a computer, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique allows designers of new products to be tested. This research aims to analyze the bibliometrics of CFD publications as a design tool in the food industry to determine concepts, trends, and contributions of previous research. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a technology used to test product designs through computer simulations of fluid flow around the product. The use of technology in various industries, such as the food industry, is essential to create better products or services. This research uses a bibliometric analysis method supported by theoretical analysis. This research consists of 5 steps, namely (i) determining the research theme for formulating keywords, (ii) collecting publication documents, (iii) data processing, (iv) bibliometric analysis, and (v) preparing a report. The keywords used in this research are "Computational Fluid Dynamics Design (CFD) in Food Industry." The results of the publication search found a total of 211 documents from 1992 to 2023. The average number of publications was 6.59. The trend of CFD publications in the food industry was first carried out in 1992. The development of this publication has been fluctuating, and there has been an increase in publications in the last five years (2019 - 2023). Research publications regarding CFD in the food industry are grouped into 20 subject areas. Contributions to this research consisted of 159 authors, 160 affiliates, and 51 countries. Completing this research will likely provide information regarding publication sources and contributions made by several scientists from various affiliates and countries worldwide.

Analysis of Research Productivity of Orthopedic Surgery Residency Applicants.

Background Orthopedic surgery has become an increasingly competitive specialty. With a pass-fail Step 1, an even greater emphasis on research has been placed to allow candidates to better distinguish themselves. This study analyzes the scholarly activity of accepted orthopedic residency applicants during medical school, assessing what factors, including the novel altmetric attention score, may be associated with greater research productivity. Methods A list of orthopedic residency programs was obtained from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). A total of 688 orthopedic residents from 180 programs who matriculated in 2020 from allopathic medical schools were identified.Resident demographic information and bibliometric data (total publications, orthopedic-related publications, h-index, and altmetric score)of publications published from July 1, 2016, toSeptember 1, 2020, were collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Kruskal-Wallis tests analyzed the association between medical school characteristics and research productivity using Stata® 17.0 (StataCorpLLC, College Station, Texas). Results Postgraduate-Year-3 orthopedic residents (N=688) published 2,600 articles during medical school, averaging 3.8 articles per resident. The residents from a top 25 medical school for research had publication counts, altmetric scores, and h-indices, on average, that were higher than those from non-top 25 medical schools for research. Over 150 residents had no publications, and ~10 residents had more than 30 publications. Conclusions The results illustrate that medical school research status influences the research productivity of applicants. Also, given the average number of publications, most research listed on applications are abstracts and presentations. Utilization of the altmetric score may not yet be the best way of examining research experience because orthopedic applicants do not appear to use social networks for academic research.

Eating disorders, primary care, and stigma: an analysis of research trends and patterns.

Eating disorders (EDs) are a growing concern affecting millions worldwide. Early detection and treatment are crucial, but stigma can prevent people from seeking help. Primary care providers can play a critical role in early detection by coordinating care with other professionals. Understanding the research landscape on EDs, primary care, and stigma is essential for identifying knowledge gaps to direct future research and improve management. In this study, we aimed to analyze the scientific trends and patterns in research about EDs, primary care, and stigma. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science database to collect articles published between May 1986 and May 2023. Bibliometric indicators were utilized to examine authorship, collaboration patterns, and influential papers. Topic analysis was performed to identify stigma-related terms within the dataset. A total of 541 research articles were analyzed, and it was found that the average number of publications per year has increased linearly from nearly zero in 1986 to 41 in 2022. One of the study's main findings is that despite this linear increase over the years, the subject of stigma did not take a prominent place in the literature. Only a few stigma concepts could be identified with the topic analysis. The authors in the field are also interested in; screening, neurotic symptoms, training, adolescent, obesity-related conditions, and family. One-third of all publications were from 15 journals. However, only two of them were primary healthcare journals. Leading authors' collaborations were another critical finding from the network analysis. This may help to expand primary care related EDs research to end the mental health stigma. This study provides insights into the research trends and patterns regarding eating disorders, primary care, and stigma. Our findings highlight the need to address primary care's impact and stigma on EDs. The identified research gaps can guide future studies to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders in primary care settings.

Gynecologic oncology fellowship leadership trends by gender

Our objective was to examine the educational, research, and leadership trends among gynecologic oncology (GYO) fellowship program directors (PD) and how these vary by gender.PDs were identified using the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Directory. Surveys were sent to PDs’ emails to obtain information about demographics, education, and research background. Publicly available data and institutional biographies were used to supplement primary survey data for incomplete responses or survey non-responders. Scopus was used to determine the h-index and number of publications and citations for each PD. Parametric data were compared using unpaired two-tailed t-tests. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were performed for categorical data. The significance level was p < 0.05.Approximately one-half of PDs were female (50.8%). Female PDs had a younger mean age than male PDs (46.4 years vs 51.9 years, p = 0.0014). The average overall h-index was 22 (SD = 14.5) and the average number of publications was 71.2 (SD = 63.3). The average h-index was higher in male PDs than females (27.8 vs 16.3, p = 0.0012), as were the number of publications (97.3 vs 45.8, p = 0.0008).Differences exist among GYO PDs by gender. While research productivity may be reflective of age, gender-based equity in research time should be further explored.

The Power of Cooperation: A Quantitative Analysis of the Benefit of Civilian Partnerships on the Academic Output of Military Surgeons.

Military-civilian partnerships are crucial to maintaining the skills of active duty surgeons and sustaining readiness. There have been no publications to date that report the quantitative effect of these partnerships on academic research. To address this question, the Hirsch indices (H-indices) of active duty surgeons with a civilian affiliation (CA) were compared to those without. As a secondary outcome, H-indices of military surgeons with and without an appointment to the Uniformed Services University (USU) were similarly compared. We hypothesized that military surgeons with a CA would have a higher H-index as compared to those without. Rosters of active duty military surgeons were obtained confidentially through each branch consultant. H-indices were found on Scopus. Graduation dates and hospital affiliations were identified via public Doximity, LinkedIn profiles, and hospital biographies. Rosters were cross-referenced with USU appointments. Stata software was used for final analysis. Military surgeons without a civilian association have a median H-index of 2 versus 3 in those with such an affiliation (P = .0002). This pattern is also seen in average number of publications, at 3 and 5 articles (P < .0001). When further stratified by branch, Air Force surgeons have median H-indices of 2.5 and 1 with and without a CA, respectively (P = .0007). The Army surgeons follow a similar pattern, with median H-indices of 5 and 3 for those with and without affiliations, respectively (P = .0021). This significance does not hold in the Naval subgroup. Similar results are found for the secondary outcome of USU appointment, with median H-indices of 3 and 2 in those with and without CAs, respectively (P < .0001). In the multivariable negative binomial regression model, both CA and USU appointment significantly increased H-index in the overall cohort, with incidence rate ratios of 1.32 (95% CI = 1.08, 1.61) and 1.56 (95% CI = 1.28, 1.91), respectively. This article provides objective evidence that there is a benefit to military-civilian partnerships on the academic output of military surgeons. These relationships should continue to be fostered and expanded.

The State of the Catatonia Literature: Employing Bibliometric Analysis of Articles From 1965-2020 to Identify Current Research Gaps.

Since Kahlbaum's classic 19th-century description of catatonia, our conceptualization of this syndrome, as well treatment options for it, has advanced considerably. However, little is known about the current state of the catatonia literature since a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of it has not yet been undertaken. The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis, along with a content analysis of articles reporting new findings, to better understand the catatonia literature and how catatonia research is changing. Using the search term "Title(catatoni∗)" in Web of Science Core Collection for all available years (1965-2020), all available publications (articles, proceeding papers, reviews) pertaining directly to catatonia were identified, and metadata extracted. Semantic and coauthorship network analyses were conducted. A content analysis was also conducted on all available case reports, case series, and research articles written in English. A total of 1015 articles were identified representing 2861 authors, 346 journals, and 15,639 references. The average number of publications per year over the last 20years (31.3) more than doubled in comparison to that in the 20years prior (12.8). The top 3 most common journals were Psychosomatics/Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Journal of ECT, and Schizophrenia Research, which represented 12.6% of all publications. Content analysis revealed that catatonia articles are increasingly published in nonpsychiatric journals. There was a notable paucity of clinical trials throughout the study period. Since 2003, articles on catatonia secondary to a general medical condition, as well as articles including child/adolescent patients and patients with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability, have made up increasing shares of the literature, with a smaller proportion of articles reporting periodic or recurrent catatonia. We noted a decrease in the proportion of articles detailing animal/invitro studies, genetic/heredity studies, and clinical trials, along with stagnation in the proportion of neuroimaging studies. The catatonia literature is growing through contributions from authors and institutions across multiple countries. However, recent growth has largely been driven by increased case reports, with significant downturns observed in both clinical and basic science research articles. A dearth of clinical trials evaluating potential treatments remain a critical gap in the catatonia literature.

Effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Authorship Gender Disparities in the Ophthalmology Literature.

Background Studies in several fields of medicine have found that women published less during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially due to an increase in domestic responsibilities. This study examines whether a similar pattern exists for female authorship in ophthalmology. Purpose To compare the proportions of female authorship published in high-impact ophthalmology journals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study analyzing authorship gender of articles published during the COVID-19 pandemic (between July and September 2020) compared with matched articles published in the same journals before the COVID-19 pandemic (between July and September 2019). Gender of the first and last authors was analyzed using an online gender determination tool. Results A total of 577 articles and 1,113 authors were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the average number of publications by male and female authors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant increase in the percentage of female first authorship from the prepandemic period (32%) to during the COVID-19 pandemic (40%; p = 0.01), but no significant increase in the last authorship ( p > 0.05). When analyzing only research articles, a similar increase in female first authorship was noted when comparing the publications before (31%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (43%; p = 0.02). No significant differences were noted when analyzing the editorials ( p > 0.05). Conclusion While disparities continue to exist between male and female authorship, an increase in female first authorship was noted during the COVID-19 pandemic for overall articles as well as research articles. Precis During the COVID-19 pandemic, female authorship as first and last authors of peer-reviewed articles in high-impact ophthalmology journals was below 50%. However, while the overall rates of female authorship were unchanged, female first authorship significantly increased during the pandemic. These results differ from studies published in other medical fields that demonstrated a decrease in female authorship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research on artificial intelligence in shoulder and elbow surgery is increasing.

Total health care spending in the United States is increasing. In order to improve our delivery of high-quality, patient-centric, and cost-effective care, artificial intelligence (AI) and its subsets are being increasingly explored and utilized in medicine. Applications of AI in orthopedic surgery, including shoulder and elbow surgery, are being actively studied and have stirred much discussion. However, the trends of research on AI applications in shoulder and elbow surgery have not yet been quantified. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the general trends of research in applying AI to shoulder and elbow surgery and to examine characteristics of these research publications. A literature search was conducted using PubMed for all articles published between January 1, 2000 and May 12, 2022. The primary search query used was as follows: (shoulder) and (AI OR machine learning OR deep learning OR neural networks). Exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) not pertinent to orthopedic surgeons (2) not pertaining to shoulder or elbow surgery, and (3) not pertaining to AI, machine learning, and deep learning. Selected articles in high-impact and relevant orthopedic journals were further characterized and analyzed. The annual number of articles increased from 1 article in 2006 to 24 articles in 2021. There was a 4-fold increase in publications between 2019 and 2021, and a 6-fold increase between 2018 and 2021. The average number of publications per year increased exponentially from 2010 to 2021 (R2=0.608; P=.003). The three journals with the most publications were Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (12), followed by Arthroscopy (2), and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (2). This study provides quantitative evidence for the first time that publications applying AI and its subsets to shoulder and elbow surgery are growing exponentially since the year 2010, with the most rapid growth beginning between the years of 2019 and2020.

Bibliometric Analysis of Global Trends around Hydrogen Production Based on the Scopus Database in the Period 2011–2021

Given the increase in population and energy demand worldwide, alternative methods have been adopted for the production of hydrogen as a clean energy source. This energy offers an alternative energy source due to its high energy content, and without emissions to the environment. In this bibliometric analysis of energy production using electrolysis and taking into account the different forms of energy production. In this analysis, it was possible to evaluate the research trends based on the literature in the Scopus database during the years 2011–2021. The results showed a growing interest in hydrogen production from electrolysis and other mechanisms, with China being the country with the highest number of publications and the United States TOP in citations. The trend shows that during the first four years of this study (2011–2014), the average number of publications was 74 articles per year, from 2015 to 2021 where the growth is an average of 209 articles, the journal that published the most on this topic is Applied Energy, followed by Energy, contributing with almost 33% in the research area. Lastly, the keyword analysis identified six important research points for future discussions, which we have termed clusters. The study concludes that new perspectives on clean hydrogen energy generation, environmental impacts, and social acceptance could contribute to the positive evolution of the hydrogen energy industry.

Contributions from Türkiye to the international emergency medicine literature during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric analysis

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the bibliometric contributions made from Türkiye to the international scientific literature in the field of Emergency Medicine during the 2020-2021 period, which covered the COVID-19 pandemic period. Materials and Methods: The present study included a total of 872 studies in Emergency Medicine WoS Indexes between 2020-2021. The study data were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database of Thomson Reuters – Clarivate Analytics, and the review included publications in the "Emergency Medicine" category from Turkey that spanned the pandemic period between the years 2019-2020. Results: 78.1% of the aforementioned studies were included in the Science Citation Index Expanded and 88.2% were original research papers. A total of 2930 researchers were involved in the 872 publications in the scope of the study. The average number of co-authors per publication was 5.2, where the average number of publications per author was 0.3. As regards the scope of the publications, the main topic was "SARS-Cov-2 and pandemic". The aforementioned main theme was associated with general emergency medicine practices, COVID-19 pneumonia, and high-mortality emergency cases. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first that investigated the studies from Türkiye that contributed to the international literature in the field of emergency medicine during the pandemic period and provided valuable data reflecting the scientific productivity of the researchers, who continued their research in the field of emergency medicine, during the pandemic period.

Letter: Pressure to Publish-A Precarious Precedent Among Medical Students.

To the Editor: The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) recently published its biennial report “Charting Outcomes in the Match” for the recent 2021 to 2022 application cycle.1 The goal of this report was to provide characteristics of both matched and unmatched applicants within each specialty. These data, which include measures such as average United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 scores, average number of publications/presentations/abstracts, and average number of volunteer/research/work experiences, are often used by applicants and residency programs to compare an individual's characteristics with the average applicant profile. Neurosurgery is one of the most challenging specialties to match into, with the 2022 match rate being 61%.1 Given the relative scarcity of postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) positions, several benchmarks have been established to assess applicant competitiveness, with research productivity being a primary measure.2,3 Although neurosurgery applicants have historically reported the highest number of publications, presentations, and abstracts, the NRMP's 2022 report revealed a departure from this trend. From 2020 to 2022, the average number of publications, presentations, and abstracts listed by matched U.S. MD plastic surgery applicants increased from 19.1 to 28.4 while the average number listed by matched U.S. MD neurosurgery applicants increased from 23.4 to 25.5.1,4 However, research productivity by unmatched U.S. MD neurosurgery applicants did not change dramatically between 2020 and 2022 while unmatched U.S. MD plastic surgery applicants saw a modest increase from 11.6 to 13.8.1,4 Not surprisingly, these data support an association between research productivity and likelihood of matching in each of these specialties.5,6 However, concerns over excessive research output by neurosurgery applicants have been raised previously.7 Now, it appears that the research “arms race” is beginning to involve other specialties. What has caused such an increase? As surgical residencies become increasingly competitive, applicants may opt to complete a dedicated research year to boost their research output. This is becoming more common in many surgical specialties, such as neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and plastic surgery.6,8 Although a research year is not necessary for every applicant, students may feel pressure to delay their graduation to achieve research output comparable with what is demonstrated in the 2022 Charting Outcomes data. This pressure is felt by US and international medical graduates alike.9 Indeed, research productivity is a valuable asset for academic residency programs, but there is evidence to suggest that the 2022 Charting Outcomes data may not necessarily represent an increase in high-quality publications. Rather, this rise in research output could be due to nonindexed publications, such as abstracts, book chapters, presentations, and “ghost” or “phantom” publications, which are unverifiable publications listed on residency applications.5,10,11 This presents a dilemma for applicants and residency programs alike. Peer-reviewed research is held to high standards, and medical student research is no exception to this. As applicants face more pressure to publish, they may gravitate away from performing high-quality research, which tends to be more difficult to complete in a timely manner. The value of quantity ought not to supersede that of quality, and a 49% increase in research output by successful plastic surgery applicants over the course of 2 years may threaten this principle. What can be done to address this trend? First, research mentors and residency program directors ought to emphasize the value of meaningful research projects, high-quality methodologies, and ethical principles of research.7 Second, the NRMP should consider reporting research output more granularly and specifically. Currently, publications, abstracts, and presentations are reported as a single number in the biennial Charting Outcomes report. However, these categories of research are not equivalent and should not be treated as such. Third, the Association of American Medical Colleges should consider changes to the formatting of research input in the Electronic Residency Application Service. For example, the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons has developed the Plastic Surgery Common Application, which is an alternative to Electronic Residency Application Service.12 Within the Plastic Surgery Common Application, applicants are required to list up to 3 publications to discuss during interviews and can list no more than 5 research, service, and leadership experiences. Although applicants are still able to list additional publications, this format draws attention to meaningful research endeavors.12 Although neurosurgery, and now plastic surgery, applicants lead all specialties in research output, there is an opportunity to set a new precedent. The value of medical student involvement in research should not be understated because it provides an opportunity to advance the field of medicine and collaborate with peers on a global scale. However, students must maintain a balanced educational experience with focus on patient care, academic excellence, and personal well-being. The 2022 Charting Outcomes data may be a signal that the academic medical community should reassess its current approach to applicant assessment.

Descriptive analysis of cornea and anterior segment fellowship program directors in 2020.

To investigate demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, and academic achievements among program directors (PDs) of cornea and external disease and anterior segment fellowships in the United States in 2020. Database study of U.S. fellowship programs. Cross-sectional study. PDs of cornea and external disease and anterior segment fellowships were identified using the San Francisco Match website. Fellowship program features reviewed included academic or private practice type, number of cornea faculty, and sex of chairperson. PD demographic characteristics, educational and training background, and academic productivity were analyzed using publicly available profiles and databases. 76 cornea and external disease and 10 anterior segment fellowships were reviewed. Of 86 reviewed programs, 55 (64.0%) were considered academic, 30 (34.9%) were private practice, and 1 (1.2%) was hybrid. 76 cornea and external disease PDs and 12 anterior segment PDs were identified. Overall, 21 (23.9%) of PDs were women, and the mean age for all PDs was 52.6 ± 11.5 years. Of the 88 PDs, the average number of publications was 45.1 ± 55.9. The mean h-index was 16.7 ± 15.4 and was higher among cornea and external disease than anterior segment PDs (18.2 ± 15.5 vs 7.1 ± 11.4, P = .008) and also higher among academic than private practice PDs (19.9 ± 15.1 vs 11.2 ± 14.7, P = .011). More female PDs were in departments with a female chairperson compared with male PDs (6 [28.6%] vs 4 [6.0%], P = .011). Cornea and external disease and anterior segment fellowship PDs represent a wide array of backgrounds and scholarly achievements. Female PDs remain in the minority and are more common in departments with female chairpersons.

Gender Disparities Among Craniofacial Surgeons.

To delineate career differences between genders of practicing plastic surgeons who have completed craniofacial fellowship given the known disparities in surgeons’ professional and personal lives and an already lengthy residency training, there is concern that less women may commit to further fellowship training. Craniofacial fellowship programs were contacted to identify graduates and an internet search was attempted where information was not available. Surgeon profiles and literature databases were used to obtain practice demographics and publications. Accredited fellowships were identified through the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons directory. Program responses along with internet searches identified 201 graduates from 26 programs, of which 132 (66%) were men and 69 (34%) were women. On average, male graduates had 7.1 years in practice versus 6.6 years for females graduates ( P = .176). There were significant differences between average number of publications (24.7 publications for males vs 14.1 for females, P = .009) and academic practice (46% males vs 64% females, P = .018). A similar percentage of males and females held leadership positions (13% males vs 16%, P = .552). Despite similar years in practice, men had significantly higher publications while women were significantly more likely to practice in an academic setting. Females are increasing their representation in academia and leadership within the craniofacial community. However, efforts must still be directed at increasing exposure to craniofacial surgery and supporting research and leadership pursuits earlier on during their careers.