PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS? RESEARCH TRAINING AND RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE William L. Cull, Beth K. Yudkowsky, David J. Schonfeld, Carol D. Berkowitz Department of Practice and Research, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL; Department of Pediatrics, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how many pediatric residents have meaningful research experiences during residency. It is also unclear whether the research focus of subspecialties encourages or discourages residents to pursue subspecialty training.

OBJECTIVE: To examine pediatric residents' research experiences during residency and to explore whether residents' attitudes toward research is predictive of their decision to pursue subspecialty fellowships.

DESIGN/METHODS: A national random sample of 500 PL-3 residents completing training in 2001 was surveyed. Four mailings of the survey were completed and responses were obtained from 314 residents (63%). The survey collected information about residents' research experiences, their formal research training, their research knowledge, and their interest in pursuing subspecialty training.

RESULTS: A high percentage (91%) of residents participated in journal clubs, but fewer residents had formal research training (31%) or participated in research projects (38%) during their residency. Upon residency completion, residents rated their knowledge of most research skills as being fair or poor: grant writing (93%), statistical analysis (80%), IRB regulations (78%), manuscript writing (76%), and research design (69%). The only research skill where the majority of residents felt their knowledge was good was literature searches. When considering subspecialty training, just as many residents were encouraged as were discouraged by the focus on research in pediatric subspecialties. Residents' favorable rating toward research was the strongest predictor (OR = 3.7) of 10 factors investigated in a multivariate logistic regression model that was highly predictive of whether residents have subspecialty practice rather than general pediatrics as their future clinical goal (c-index = .95).

CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric residents have had limited research training and have low assessments of nearly all of their research skills. The one research skill that they have confidence in is literature searches, and journal clubs may have helped promote this skill. Given the strong predictive relationship found between residents' research attitudes and their pursuit of subspecialty training, serious consideration needs to be given to the research training that residents receive.