title: Residents' experience of scholarly activities is associated with higher satisfaction with residency training.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has been promoting participation in scholarly activities for physicians during residency training. However, there is debate regarding whether this is worthwhile for residents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate residents' opinions of engaging in scholarly activities and identify factors associated with overall satisfaction with their training program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional national survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,124 second-year residents in teaching hospitals in Japan in 2007
  
  
  METHODS
  Collected data included demographics, teaching hospital characteristics and resources, residents' research experiences, including type of activities, barriers to performing scholarly activities, residents' opinions of scholarly requirements, and resident satisfaction with their residency program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1,124 residents/1,500 responded for a response rate of 74.9%. Our data showed that 60.2% of Japanese residents engaged in some type of scholarly activity. Barriers included: "No resident time"; "No mentor;" and "No resident interest." Sixty-three percent of residents thought that research should be a residency requirement. In multivariate logistic analysis, residents' overall satisfaction with their residency program was significantly associated with participation in research activity (odds ratio (OR), 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-2.1); male gender (OR, 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.2); satisfaction with residency compensation (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.6-5.0), and satisfaction with the residency curriculum (OR, 19.5; 95% CI, 13.7-27.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of residents surveyed thought that research activity was worthwhile. Residents' participation in research activity was associated with higher levels of satisfaction with residency training. Implementing measures to overcome existing barriers may have educational benefits for residents.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan. otakahas@luke.or.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohde
authors.forename: Joshua L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Omata
authors.forename: Tsuguya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult