Fate of Research Articles Reported by Ophthalmology Residency Applicants: What Happens to “Submitted” and “In Preparation” Articles?

Emily Sun, Brittany C. Tsou, Jing Tian, Loaah Eltemsah, Divya Srikumaran, Jessica Chow, Fasika Woreta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: As coronavirus disease 2019 affects clinical training opportunities and with the transition of U.S. Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 to pass-fail, research may become increasingly important for evaluating ophthalmology residency applicants. Though publication misrepresentation has been studied among ophthalmology residency applicants, eventual publication rates of incomplete articles remain unknown. We aimed to determine publication rates for manuscripts listed as “submitted” or “in preparation” on ophthalmology residency applications and identify factors associated with unpublished manuscripts. DESIGN: San Francisco Match applications to the Wilmer Eye Institute for the 2019 ophthalmology residency cycle were retrospectively reviewed. Each applicant's number of “published,” “submitted,” and “in preparation” manuscripts was recorded, then verified 1.5 years later through PubMed, Google Scholar, or journal websites. Unverifiable manuscripts were deemed “unpublished.” SETTING: Single academic institution (Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA) PARTICIPANTS: All 458 medical students who applied to the Wilmer Eye Institute for the 2019 ophthalmology residency cycle through the San Francisco Match. RESULTS: A total of 458 applications were reviewed. Of 428 “submitted” publications, 126 (29.4%) remained unpublished after 1.5 years. Of 324 manuscripts “in preparation,” 215 (66.4%) remained unpublished. In a multivariate model, AOA was associated with not having an unpublished manuscript compared to applicants without AOA (OR: 0.423, p = 0.0163). Gender, Step 1 score, additional degrees, and a research year had no association. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two-thirds of manuscripts listed as “in preparation” remained unpublished. Specific guidance from research mentors may help applicants better represent their publications in residency applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)750-756
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of surgical education
Volume80
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2023

Keywords

  • San Francisco Match
  • application
  • ophthalmology
  • publication
  • research
  • residency

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Surgery

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fate of Research Articles Reported by Ophthalmology Residency Applicants: What Happens to “Submitted” and “In Preparation” Articles?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this