title: Do Quantitative Measures of Research Productivity Correlate with Academic Rank in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
abstract: Academic promotion is linked to research productivity. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between quantitative measures of academic productivity and academic rank among academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This was a cross-sectional study of full-time academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States. The predictor variables were categorized as demographic (gender, medical degree, research doctorate, other advanced degree) and quantitative measures of academic productivity (total number of publications, total number of citations, maximum number of citations for a single article, I-10 index [number of publications with ≥ 10 citations], and h-index [number of publications h with ≥ h citations each]). The outcome variable was current academic rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or endowed professor). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple regression statistics were computed to evaluate associations between the predictors and academic rank. Receiver-operator characteristic curves were computed to identify thresholds for academic promotion. The sample consisted of 324 academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons, of whom 11.7% were female, 40% had medical degrees, and 8% had research doctorates. The h-index was the most strongly correlated with academic rank (ρ = 0.62, p < 0.001). H-indexes of ≥ 4, ≥ 8, and ≥ 13 were identified as thresholds for promotion to associate professor, professor, and endowed professor, respectively (p < 0.001). This study found that the h-index was strongly correlated with academic rank among oral and maxillofacial surgery faculty members and thus suggests that promotions committees should consider using the h-index as an additional method to assess research activity.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. ssusarl1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Srinivas M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Susarla
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
authors.forename: Edward W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Calotta
authors.affiliation: Dr. Susarla is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Dodson is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry; Dr. Lopez is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Dr. Swanson is a Resident, Department of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mr. Calotta is a candidate for Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Peacock is Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
authors.forename: Zachary S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Peacock
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018865:Dental Research / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D004501:Education, Medical; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012372:ROC Curve; D012737:Sex Factors; D013192:Staff Development; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000193:education*; D014146:Training Support; D014481:United States
keywords: academic dental careers; academic promotion; dental education; dental faculty; oral and maxillofacial surgery; research activity