Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate factors associated with post-residency research productivity among graduates of US ophthalmology programs.
Methods :
A retrospective review was conducted of publicly available information of residents from 30 US ophthalmology programs, randomly selected from the top 100 Doximity-ranked programs. Demographics, academic factors, fellowship, and career choices of all graduates between 2009 and 2014 were documented. The current H-index, a measure of scientific output and citations, was also recorded. Publications from pre-residency, residency, and post-residency, including fellowship, were enumerated. Differences in publications between the 5yrs post-residency and the pre-residency/residency period were used as metrics of productivity. Analysis was conducted using Student’s T-test, Pearson correlation, multivariate logistic regression, and odds ratio (OR) calculations with STATA-14 software. Significance was set at p<0.05. Residents with incomplete data were excluded.
Results :
758 out of 768 residents, 306 females (40.4%) and 452 males (59.6%), met inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) number of pre-residency/residency publications was 1.7(4.0) and post-residency was 4.0(7.3) with a mean (SD) H-index of 4.2(4.9). Top rank residency (p=0.0013), Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor status (p=0.0015), US medical school graduates (p<0.001) and academic career (p<0.001) were all significantly associated with higher pre/post-residency mean publication difference. Pursuing fellowship training was associated with higher total publications (p<0.001). Of all pre-residency degrees, PhD had the greatest odds of high post-graduate publications (defined as >4). There was a positive correlation between pre/intra-residency and post-residency publications (Rho=0.441; p<0.001) and mean difference of pre/post-residency publications for residents at a program and that program’s rank (Rho=0.497; p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed, in order, academic career (OR=3.38; p<0.001), Heed fellows (OR=3.12; p=0.031), >2 residency publications (OR=2.89; p<0.001), AOA status (OR=2.0; p=0.004), and top-rank residency (OR=1.89; p=0.007), had greatest odds of >4 post-graduation publications.
Conclusions :
Higher post-residency productivity was associated with multiple factors with choice of an academic career, Heed fellowship and residency productivity playing key roles.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.