Table 3. Early career academic productivity and lifelong professional achievement.

Variables	Current academic rank						Current institutional role as department/division chief				Current institution
	Instructor	Assistant professor	Associate professor	Professor	P		Yes	No	P		Top CT center	Other CT center	P
Total number of publications during
General surgery residency	2 (0–23; 0–7.5)	5 (0–42; 1–10)	5 (0–55; 1–12.5)	5 (0–47; 1–11)	0.10KW		5 (0–38; 2–10)	4 (0–55; 1–11)	0.24KW		6 (0–55; 2–14)	4 (0–42; 0–8)	<0.001KW
Thoracic surgery fellowship	2 (0–13; 0–3)	2 (0–24; 0–4)	2 (0–29; 1–5)	4 (0–36; 1.75–8)	<0.001KW		4 (0–22; 1–8)	2 (0–36; 0–5)	<0.001KW		3 (0–30; 1–7)	2 (0–36; 0–5)	<0.001KW
First 5 years after fellowship completion	3 (0–49; 0–7)	6 (0–58; 1–13)	10 (0–143; 2–23)	20 (0–128; 9–33)	<0.001KW		20 (0–86; 10–32.25)	8.5 (0–143; 2–20)	<0.001KW		15 (0–143; 5–28)	8 (0–128; 2–19)	<0.001KW
Publications as first author during
General surgery residency	0 (0–8; 0–3)	1 (0–33; 0–4)	2 (0–23; 0–6)	2 (0–23; 0–5)	0.01KW		2 (0–16; 0–5)	1 (0–33; 0–4)	0.10KW		2 (0–23; 0–5)	1 (0–33; 0–4)	<0.001KW
Thoracic surgery fellowship	0 (0–9; 0–1)	1 (0–11; 0–2)	1 (0–10; 0–3)	2 (0–17; 0–3)	<0.001KW		1 (0–8; 0–3.5)	1 (0–17; 0–2)	<0.001KW		1 (0–15; 0–3)	1 (0–17; 0–2)	0.048KW
First 5 years after fellowship completion	0 (0–7; 0–2)	1 (0–19; 0–4)	2 (0–23; 0–6)	5 (0–37; 2–9)	<0.001KW		5 (0–37; 2–9)	2 (0–26; 0–5)	<0.001 KW		3 (0–26; 1–6)	2 (0–37; 0–6)	0.004KW

Data expressed as median (range; IQR). ^KW, Kruskal-Wallis test.