2622 - A Rising Tide: Trends and Predictors of Resident Research Productivity in Canadian Radiation Oncology
Presenter(s)
E. Kotrri1,2, A. Petrushkevich3, A. Warner2, M. Tan4, S. Young1,2, J. Laba2, T. Nguyen2, D. A. Palma2, and A. Mutsaers2; 1Western University, London, ON, Canada, 2Division of Radiation Oncology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada, 3Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, ON, Canada, 4London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
Purpose/Objective(s): Prior research demonstrates increasing publication rates in radiation oncology (RO) for both trainees and staff over time, though rates vary widely geographically. Given the mandatory research component of RO residency in Canada, and the evolving job market, this necessitates an understanding of the trends in RO residency research output. We aimed to (1) analyze trends and predictors of Canadian RO residency research productivity in a large cohort, and (2) evaluate if research output during medical school and residency predicts early career productivity.
Materials/Methods: We compiled a 25-year database of residents graduated from Canadian RO training programs between 1998 and 2023. Demographic data, training program, and degrees were extracted from public registries and department websites. Publication data was extracted from PubMed, including journal, type of research and authorship position. Publications were categorized as during medical school, residency, or first 5 years post-residency. Residents were divided into six temporal cohorts, with linear and chi-square trend tests used to analyze rates over time. Univariable and multivariable logistic, and linear regression and correlation analyses were performed to identify authorship predictors.
Results: There were 416 graduates between 1998 and 2023 identified (178 female, 43%), authoring a total of 961 residency publications, 504 (52.4%) of which were first author publications. The most frequent journal was the IJROBP (n=129, 13.4%). The proportion of residents with at least one publication increased from 29.1% for cohort 1 (1998-2002) to 80.8% for cohort 6 (2020-2023) (p<0.001). Mean ± SD publications during residency per resident also increased with each period, from 0.5 ± 1.0 (1998-2002) to 4.9 ± 5.0 (2020-2023, p<0.001). This remained significant after adjusting for residency program size, favouring medium and large programs (p<0.001). Gender was not a significant predictor of publication rate (p=0.88). Two residency programs were significantly associated with higher rates of first author residency publications (p<0.05). The number of trainee publications was positively correlated with early-career research output (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.45; p<0.001). Having at least one trainee publication significantly predicted for at least one early staff publication (odds ratio 2.77, CI 1.59-4.85, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Canadian RO resident research productivity has increased significantly over 25 years, reflecting a shift toward greater academic engagement during training. Trainee research output was predictive of early staff productivity even after adjusting for time, gender and residency program size. These findings provide valuable insights on the evolving role of research in residency training and have potential implications on residency program selection for applicants, curriculum design, hiring practices and understanding geographical differences.