The outcome of research training during surgical residency

Background/purpose. Graduates of a university surgical residency program we re surveyed to identify the timing of specialty selection and the impact th at studying in a research laboratory had on subsequent acceptance into a fe llowship program. Methods. Between 1975 and 1990, 86 residents completed general surgery trai ning at UCLA Medical Center. A survey was sent to all graduates to determin e the focus of their previous laboratory research and when they selected th eir eventual surgical specialty. Responses were received from 67 of the 86 graduates (78%). Results. Forty-eight of the sixty-seven respondents (72%) took one or more years of surgical research during residency. Postresidency fellowship train ing was selected by 55 of 67 (82%); 50 applied to fewer than five programs; 49 of 55 (89%) received one of their top three choices. Twenty-seven of th e sixty-seven residents pursued an academic career (40%). Residents who per formed at least 2 years of research were more likely to become academicians (53%) than residents who did 1 year or less of research (22%), Only 39 of 67 residents (58%) had selected a specialty after 2 years of clinical train ing; 28 more made the selection after the third clinical year. All resident s interested in cardiac surgery (n = 18) or plastic surgery (n = 4) prior t o research were accepted into fellowships in those specialities, whereas on ly 37% of those who had an interest in other fields pursued the same specia lty (P < 0.0001). Residents performing research in general surgery (n = 9), surgical oncology (n = 18), cardiac surgery (n = 14), and plastic surgery (n = 3) were more likely to practice in that specialty than those doing res earch in other specialty laboratories. Conclusions. General surgery residents performing research in a specialty l aboratory are likely to pursue fellowship training relating to that field. Those who select a career in cardiac or plastic surgery prior to research a re most likely to enter into these fields as their eventual specialty. Resi dents who perform 2 or more years of laboratory research publish more paper s and often pursue an academic career. (C) 2000 Academic Press.