Academic Productivity, Knowledge, and Education in Plastic Surgery: The Benefit of the Clinical Research Fellow.

Summary: Academic research productivity is limited by strenuous resident and faculty schedules, yet is imperative to the growth and success of our discipline. We report institutional experience with our clinical research fellowship model, providing two positions per year. A critical analysis of research productivity was performed for all trainees, faculty, and research fellows from 2000-2015. All articles in-print were individually collected to identify academic appointment at time of publication for the authors. Academic productivity was determined by number of peer-reviewed publications, podium presentations, and h-index. Podium presentations at two national and one regional plastic surgery meetings were collected. Academic fate of previous research fellows was also noted. Overall, 18 faculty, 38 fellows, 41 residents, and 8 research fellows were included. During the 16-year time-frame, 484 articles were published in print. Notably, 92 articles were published from 2000-2007 and 392 articles were published from 2008-2015 (p=0.0066), demonstrating linear growth after instituting the research fellowship. Additionally, 33 articles were published from 2002-2004 pre-leadership change, 47 from 2005-2007 post- leadership change but pre-fellowship, and 58 from 2008-2010 in the first few years of the fellowship (p=0.0204). Overall, 39.9% of publications appeared in PRS, with a total of 77 different peer-reviewed journal inclusions. AAPS, ASPS, and NESPS podium presentations totaled 143 between 2005-2015. Of the 8 previous fellows who applied into integrated and independent programs, 100% have matched. Incorporation of a formalized research fellowship into a plastic surgery program can drastically increase clinical research contribution in a reproducible fashion. (C)2017American Society of Plastic Surgeons

http://ift.tt/2s7gFXS