Predictors of future research productivity among ophthalmology residents

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.

Automated summary

Among ophthalmology residents in the US, having a graduate degree and the number of publications are key predictors of future research productivity.