TABLE 2.

Questions to Guide Medical Students in Assessment of Research Training in Surgery Residency

Is there dedicated research training program leadership and staff? What is the quality, quantity, and type of resident and faculty publications? How many NIH funded research mentors are in the department? Are faculty mentors involved in NIH study sections, leadership of NIH T32 training grants and other research education and training administration, advocacy efforts? Do residents have the opportunity to train with research mentors outside the Department of Surgery? Is there protected time for research training? How much time? Can residents pursue advanced degrees? If so, what is the associated cost? Is there department funding and support for resident travel to scientific meetings? Is there department funding and other resources to support resident research education and training? What sources of stipend funding are available to support residents? Are there any NIH T32s that support surgery residents (ie, postdoctoral surgery trainees)? What is the success rate for surgery resident grant applications? What are the program outcomes in terms of resident publications, presentations at national meetings, and awards? How successful are program graduates in terms of acceptance into high quality surgical subspecialty fellowships? In receipt of NIH and other early career research awards? How successful are program graduates at negotiating junior faculty positions with protected time for research?

NIH indicates National Institutes of Health.