- Email: [email protected]
An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst Dermatology Residency Applicants
Journal Pre-proof An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst Dermatology Residency Applicants Maureen Ezekor, Adrian Pona, MD, Abigail Cline, MD, PhD, William W. Huang, MD, MPH, Steven R. Feldman, MD, PhD PII:
S0190-9622(19)32758-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.09.021
Reference:
YMJD 13832
To appear in:
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Received Date: 15 April 2019 Revised Date:
11 August 2019
Accepted Date: 12 September 2019
Please cite this article as: Ezekor M, Pona A, Cline A, Huang WW, Feldman SR, An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst Dermatology Residency Applicants, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2019), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.09.021. This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. © 2019 Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc.
1 1
An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst
2
Dermatology Residency Applicants
3 4
Maureen Ezekor1, Adrian Pona1, MD, Abigail Cline1, MD, PhD, William W. Huang1, MD,
5
MPH, and Steven R. Feldman1,2,3, MD, PhD
6
1
7
Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
8
2
Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
9
3
Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-
10
Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of
Salem, North Carolina
11 12 13
Address correspondence to:
14
Adrian Pona, MD
15
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
16
Medical Center Boulevard
17
Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1071
18 19
Phone: 336-716-7740, Fax: 336-716-7732, E-mail: [email protected]
20
Funding source: None
21 22 23 24 25
Reprint requests: None Keywords: United States, Research, Academic, Ethics, Quality
2 26
Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Steven R. Feldman has received research, speaking and/or consulting
27
support from a variety of companies including Galderma, GSK/Stiefel, Almirall, Leo Pharma,
28
Boehringer Ingelheim, Mylan, Celgene, Pfizer, Valeant, Abbvie, Samsung, Janssen, Lilly,
29
Menlo, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Novan, Qurient, National Biological Corporation,
30
Caremark, Advance Medical, Sun Pharma, Suncare Research, Informa, UpToDate and National
31
Psoriasis Foundation. He is founder and majority owner of www.DrScore.com and founder and
32
part owner of Causa Research, a company dedicated to enhancing patients’ adherence to
33
treatment.
34
Maureen Ezekor, Dr. Adrian Pona, Dr. Abigail Cline, and Dr. William Huang have no conflicts
35
to disclose.
36 37
IRB status:
38
This study does not qualify for an IRB status.
39 40
Previously Published:
41
Contents of the manuscript have not been previously published and are not currently submitted
42
elsewhere.
43 44 45 46
Word Count: 449, References: 5, Tables: 0, Figures: 2
3 47 48
Introduction Dermatology residency is one of the most competitive medical specialties. There is
49
increasing pressure for dermatology applications to reflect multiple research experiences and
50
publications. Attempts to “measure up” to these standards is fraught with ethical dilemmas for
51
students and residency programs.1 This observational study documents trends in the number of
52
research experiences and publications over the last decade.
53 54 55
Methods Review of the National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP) Charting Outcomes in the
56
Match2 between 2007 and 2019 identified mean publications and research experience numbers
57
by allopathic and osteopathic United States dermatology applicants. Independent and
58
international applicants were excluded. Abstracts, presentations, and publications were included
59
as publications. A paired t-test was performed between the mean number of publications and
60
research projects by matched and unmatched applicants over this time period.
61 62 63
Results From 2007 to 2018, the average number of publications for matched dermatology
64
applicants increased from 5.7 to 14.5 (Figure 1). The number of publications of unmatched
65
applicants rose from 3.3 to 8.6. From 2007 to 2018, the average number of research experiences
66
for matched dermatology applicants increased from 3.4 to 5.1 while unmatched applicants trailed
67
with an increase from 2.7 to 4.4 (Figure 2). Applicants with more publications (P=0.005) and
68
research projects (P=0.005) were more likely to match than applicants with fewer publications
69
and research projects.
4 70 71 72
Discussion The annual number of publications and research projects of applicants is increasing, with
73
a consistent lag by unmatched candidates. While prospective applicants could engage in
74
publishing research to increase their chances of matching into a dermatology residency,
75
residency programs should be aware that such numbers may not be a true or fair representation
76
of the quality of an applicant or an applicant’s long-term commitment to dermatology.
77
Shifting away from quantitative scores and publication numbers and focusing on
78
qualitative traits may diversify and attract more genuinely committed candidates.3 For example,
79
studies revealed that applicants misrepresent their accomplishments to have a competitive
80
advantage by overstating the number of manuscripts, authorships, and contribution.4 To address
81
publication quality and quantity, residency programs could exclude unpublished work, including
82
“submitted” or “in preparation” publications. Since applicants include publications that are
83
“submitted” or “prepared”, the NRMP’s final publication report includes published and
84
unpublished work.
85
Reducing the emphasis on numbers could reduce the pressure to publish and the
86
temptation to embellish research and publication achievements. High emphasis on research and
87
publications in the selection process may overlook great candidates who have demonstrated their
88
passion for dermatology through other avenues such as volunteer work, leadership, and clinical
89
exposure. While it is important that applicants participate in research, it is also important for
90
residency programs to establish a well-rounded selection process to attract earnest, diverse, and
91
qualified applicants who will influence dermatology.
92
5 93 94
References: 1.
Korman, A. M., and J. M. Grant-Kels. "Applying to dermatology residency: An ethical
95
approach to an inherently unethical process." International journal of women's
96
dermatology 4.3 (2018): 176.
97
2.
98 99
2011, 2014, 2018 3.
100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115
National Resident Matching Program. Charting Outcomes in the Match, 2007, 2009,
Chen, Amy, and Kanade Shinkai. "Rethinking how we select dermatology applicants— turning the tide." JAMA dermatology153.3 (2017): 259-260.
4.
Maverakis, Emanual, et al. "The effect of academic “misrepresentation” on residency match outcomes." Dermatology online journal 18.1 (2012).
S0190-9622(19)32758-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.09.021
Reference:
YMJD 13832
To appear in:
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Received Date: 15 April 2019 Revised Date:
11 August 2019
Accepted Date: 12 September 2019
Please cite this article as: Ezekor M, Pona A, Cline A, Huang WW, Feldman SR, An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst Dermatology Residency Applicants, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2019), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.09.021. This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. © 2019 Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc.
1 1
An Increasing Trend in the Number of Publications and Research Projects Amongst
2
Dermatology Residency Applicants
3 4
Maureen Ezekor1, Adrian Pona1, MD, Abigail Cline1, MD, PhD, William W. Huang1, MD,
5
MPH, and Steven R. Feldman1,2,3, MD, PhD
6
1
7
Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
8
2
Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
9
3
Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-
10
Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of
Salem, North Carolina
11 12 13
Address correspondence to:
14
Adrian Pona, MD
15
Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
16
Medical Center Boulevard
17
Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1071
18 19
Phone: 336-716-7740, Fax: 336-716-7732, E-mail: [email protected]
20
Funding source: None
21 22 23 24 25
Reprint requests: None Keywords: United States, Research, Academic, Ethics, Quality
2 26
Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Steven R. Feldman has received research, speaking and/or consulting
27
support from a variety of companies including Galderma, GSK/Stiefel, Almirall, Leo Pharma,
28
Boehringer Ingelheim, Mylan, Celgene, Pfizer, Valeant, Abbvie, Samsung, Janssen, Lilly,
29
Menlo, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Novan, Qurient, National Biological Corporation,
30
Caremark, Advance Medical, Sun Pharma, Suncare Research, Informa, UpToDate and National
31
Psoriasis Foundation. He is founder and majority owner of www.DrScore.com and founder and
32
part owner of Causa Research, a company dedicated to enhancing patients’ adherence to
33
treatment.
34
Maureen Ezekor, Dr. Adrian Pona, Dr. Abigail Cline, and Dr. William Huang have no conflicts
35
to disclose.
36 37
IRB status:
38
This study does not qualify for an IRB status.
39 40
Previously Published:
41
Contents of the manuscript have not been previously published and are not currently submitted
42
elsewhere.
43 44 45 46
Word Count: 449, References: 5, Tables: 0, Figures: 2
3 47 48
Introduction Dermatology residency is one of the most competitive medical specialties. There is
49
increasing pressure for dermatology applications to reflect multiple research experiences and
50
publications. Attempts to “measure up” to these standards is fraught with ethical dilemmas for
51
students and residency programs.1 This observational study documents trends in the number of
52
research experiences and publications over the last decade.
53 54 55
Methods Review of the National Resident Matching Program’s (NRMP) Charting Outcomes in the
56
Match2 between 2007 and 2019 identified mean publications and research experience numbers
57
by allopathic and osteopathic United States dermatology applicants. Independent and
58
international applicants were excluded. Abstracts, presentations, and publications were included
59
as publications. A paired t-test was performed between the mean number of publications and
60
research projects by matched and unmatched applicants over this time period.
61 62 63
Results From 2007 to 2018, the average number of publications for matched dermatology
64
applicants increased from 5.7 to 14.5 (Figure 1). The number of publications of unmatched
65
applicants rose from 3.3 to 8.6. From 2007 to 2018, the average number of research experiences
66
for matched dermatology applicants increased from 3.4 to 5.1 while unmatched applicants trailed
67
with an increase from 2.7 to 4.4 (Figure 2). Applicants with more publications (P=0.005) and
68
research projects (P=0.005) were more likely to match than applicants with fewer publications
69
and research projects.
4 70 71 72
Discussion The annual number of publications and research projects of applicants is increasing, with
73
a consistent lag by unmatched candidates. While prospective applicants could engage in
74
publishing research to increase their chances of matching into a dermatology residency,
75
residency programs should be aware that such numbers may not be a true or fair representation
76
of the quality of an applicant or an applicant’s long-term commitment to dermatology.
77
Shifting away from quantitative scores and publication numbers and focusing on
78
qualitative traits may diversify and attract more genuinely committed candidates.3 For example,
79
studies revealed that applicants misrepresent their accomplishments to have a competitive
80
advantage by overstating the number of manuscripts, authorships, and contribution.4 To address
81
publication quality and quantity, residency programs could exclude unpublished work, including
82
“submitted” or “in preparation” publications. Since applicants include publications that are
83
“submitted” or “prepared”, the NRMP’s final publication report includes published and
84
unpublished work.
85
Reducing the emphasis on numbers could reduce the pressure to publish and the
86
temptation to embellish research and publication achievements. High emphasis on research and
87
publications in the selection process may overlook great candidates who have demonstrated their
88
passion for dermatology through other avenues such as volunteer work, leadership, and clinical
89
exposure. While it is important that applicants participate in research, it is also important for
90
residency programs to establish a well-rounded selection process to attract earnest, diverse, and
91
qualified applicants who will influence dermatology.
92
5 93 94
References: 1.
Korman, A. M., and J. M. Grant-Kels. "Applying to dermatology residency: An ethical
95
approach to an inherently unethical process." International journal of women's
96
dermatology 4.3 (2018): 176.
97
2.
98 99
2011, 2014, 2018 3.
100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115
National Resident Matching Program. Charting Outcomes in the Match, 2007, 2009,
Chen, Amy, and Kanade Shinkai. "Rethinking how we select dermatology applicants— turning the tide." JAMA dermatology153.3 (2017): 259-260.
4.
Maverakis, Emanual, et al. "The effect of academic “misrepresentation” on residency match outcomes." Dermatology online journal 18.1 (2012).