Factors associated with citation of internal medicine residency programs for lack of scholarly activity.
BACKGROUND
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that residents demonstrate scholarly activity prior to completion of training.


OBJECTIVE
To determine which factors are associated with program citation for failure to comply with the Residency Review Committee (RRC) scholarly activity requirement for internal medicine residencies.


METHODS
All 391 internal medicine residency program directors were surveyed in March 2002. Data were collected on program characteristics and factors (research curriculum, research director, faculty mentors, protected time for research, funding, and presence of a mandatory research requirement) that have been associated with successful resident research. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with citation.


RESULTS
The response rate was 78%. Ten percent of respondents report having been cited for lack of demonstration of scholarly activity. Factors that reduced the odds of citation were being a university-based program, odds ratio (OR) 0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.54, p = .005; having a greater number of residents, OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93-0.98, p = .001; and having funding to support resident scholarship, OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.91, p = .03. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, having designated funding for resident scholarship was the only factor independently associated with a decreased odds of citation, OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10-0.72, p = .009.


CONCLUSIONS
To improve compliance with the RRC requirement for scholarly activity and avoid citation, residency programs may wish to consider devoting more resources, particularly money, to support resident scholarly activity.
Levine
Rachel B
RB
Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA. rlevine@jhmi.edu
Hebert
Randy S
RS
Wright
Scott M
SM
D000068:Accreditation; D003625:Data Collection; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States