Abstract Presentations by Residents at an Intramural Research Day: What Factors Affect Publication?

Objective: To assess the rate of conversion of scientific abstracts presented at an intramural resident research day to published articles and identify the factors associated with successful conversion.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Plastic Surgery.

Participants: Evaluation of 78 abstracts presented by plastic surgery residents as part of an intramural research day over a 5-year period.

Results: A total of 78 abstracts were presented by residents over the study period. Most abstracts (49, 63%) were presented by senior residents (postgraduate year ≥4). Fifty-six abstracts (72%) were clinical studies. The majority (54, 69%) of primary investigators had an academic rank of associate professor or professor. Fifty abstracts (64%) were subsequently published in a peer-reviewed journal. The mean time to publication was 15.6 ± 13.6 months. In a logistic regression model, abstract conversion was inversely associated with increasing postgraduate year (odds ratio = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36-0.85, p = 0.007) and directly associated with primary investigator academic rank (odds ratio = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.1-10.5, p = 0.047).

Conclusions: The conversion rate of abstracts to published articles from an intramural resident research day is >50% and is associated with increased time until graduation and primary investigator academic rank. These results suggest that research exposure early in surgical training and experienced mentorship are key elements to successful education in surgical research.