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Stuebe CM, Kann MR, Harper CN, Prakash KJ, Cantu LI, Mbilinyi RH, Nowacki AS, Benzil DL. Academic Productivity of Applicant and Program as Predictors of a Future Academic Career in Neurosurgery. Neurosurgery 2024:00006123-990000000-01257. [PMID: 38940593 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000003081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Academic productivity is viewed as a critical objective factor for a neurosurgery residency applicant. There has been a consistent rise in academic productivity over the last decade, but a lack of consistent data on the utility of this in helping neurosurgery residency programs identify which applicants will enter academic neurosurgery. This cross-sectional study evaluates the predictiveness of academic productivity before and during residency on career choice, both independent and dependent of training environment. METHODS The 116 accredited neurosurgery residency programs were split into 4 quartile groups based on their 2022 Doximity rankings. Six neurosurgery residency programs were randomly selected from each quartile. Publicly available information including number and type (before or during residency) of publication and type of employment (academic vs nonacademic) was collected on neurosurgeons who matriculated into residency in the year 2000 or later. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the associations among neurosurgeon and program characteristics, and an academic career. RESULTS A total of 557 neurosurgeons were identified. Group 1 (n = 194) had the highest median publications during residency total (12) and first author (5), as well as the highest percentage of neurosurgeons who attended a top 20 medical school (38.7%), hold a higher educational degree (20.6%), and pursued an academic career (72.2%). Neither attending a top 20 medical school, holding a higher educational degree, nor publications were significant multivariable predictors of an academic career. Being in group 1 was the only significant predictor of entering an academic career across analyses. CONCLUSION Only residency group ranking, not academic productivity, predicted a future academic career. For residency programs evaluating applicants as future academic neurosurgeons, this suggests that program environment is more predictive than traditionally valued characteristics such as research productivity. Additional work is needed to elucidate characteristics or practices by which future academic neurosurgeons can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren M Stuebe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Texas A&M School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Michael R Kann
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cierra N Harper
- Department of Neurosurgery, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kavita J Prakash
- Department of General Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Luke I Cantu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Robert H Mbilinyi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Texas A&M School of Medicine, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - Amy S Nowacki
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Deborah L Benzil
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Yang SD, Seu M, Qiao JB, Tsiang JTH, Pecoraro N, Germanwala AV. Posters Presented at North American Skull Base Society 2016-2018: What Factors Influence Their Publication? J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2023; 84:531-537. [PMID: 37854529 PMCID: PMC10581821 DOI: 10.1055/a-1946-5521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Research productivity impacts an individual's academic credentials and serves to advance the field of neurosurgery at large. Poster presentations allow researchers to share preliminary results with respected colleagues; however, more critical is the ability to publish peer-reviewed articles. Key factors that lead posters to journal publication are not well understood and difficult to quantify. This study investigates the association between bibliometrics of authors who presented posters at the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) meeting and odds of journal publication. Methods Posters from the 2016 to 2018 NASBS archive were reviewed. Hirsch-index (h-index) of first (FH) and senior (SH) authors, research type, research topic, and number of poster authors (nAuthPost) were collected. For posters published as journal articles, number of days from poster presentation to publication (nDays), number of authors in published articles (nAuthArt), and journal impact factor (JIF) were recorded. Results One-hundred sixty-nine of 481 posters (35.1%) were published as articles. Median FH and SH for published versus unpublished posters were 7 versus 5 ( p = 0.01) and 29 versus 19 ( p < 0.001), respectively. When adjusted with multivariate regression, only SH ( p < 0.001) and nAuthPost ( p = 0.001) were significantly associated with odds of publication. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) nDays was 361 (394). Increased authors from poster to article ( p = 0.017) and lower FH ( p = 0.08) were correlated with increased time to publication. Median (IQR) JIF for all publications was 1.723 (1.068). Conclusions Bibliometrics such as h-index and number of authors from posters can help objectively characterize and predict future success in research productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Daniel Yang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, United States
| | - Michelle Seu
- Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, United States
| | - James B. Qiao
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, United States
| | - John Ta-Hsiang Tsiang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, United States
| | - Nathan Pecoraro
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, United States
| | - Anand V. Germanwala
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, United States
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Patel AN, Tian J, Henderson AD. Identification of Factors that May Predict Career Trajectory Among Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellows. J Neuroophthalmol 2023; 43:303-306. [PMID: 37075283 PMCID: PMC10514227 DOI: 10.1097/wno.0000000000001836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is modest literature regarding fellowship applicant factors that may predict future career achievement. We aim to characterize neuro-ophthalmology fellows and identify and analyze characteristics that may predict future career trajectory. METHODS Data, including demographic information, academic background, scholarly activities, and practice information, were collected using publicly available sources, on individuals who completed neuro-ophthalmology fellowships from 2015 to 2021. Summary statistics describing the cohort were calculated. Prefellowship characteristics were compared with postfellowship characteristics to evaluate which prefellowship characteristics may predict postfellowship academic productivity and career achievement. RESULTS Data were collected on 174 individuals (41.6% men, 58.4% women). Sixty-five percent were residency-trained in ophthalmology, 31% neurology, 1.7% both, and 1.7% pediatric neurology. Fifty-eight percent completed residency in the US, 8% in Canada, 32% internationally, and 2% in multiple locations. Among those practicing in the US/Canada, 63.8% practice at academic centers, 35.3% private practice, and 0.9% at both. Thirty-one percent completed additional subspecialty training and 17.8% additional graduate degrees. Completion of additional fellowship training or graduate degrees, and publication of more papers before fellowship, correlated with later academic productivity. There were no significant correlations between completion of an additional fellowship or graduate degree with current practice environment or attainment of leadership roles. There were no significant correlations between total publishing productivity prefellowship and practice environment or leadership roles postfellowship. CONCLUSIONS Additional graduate degrees/subspecialty training, and prefellowship academic productivity, correlated with later academic productivity among neuro-ophthalmologists, suggesting that these metrics may be helpful in predicting future academic performance among fellowship applicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakash N Patel
- Medical College of Georgia (ANP), Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia; Division of Biostatistics (JT), Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology (ADH), Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; and Department of Neurology (ADH), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Jaikumar V, Raju B, Jumah F, Nanda A, Sreenivasan SA, Roychowdhury S, Gupta G. Gearing Up for the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Pass/Fail Transition, Evaluating the Role of Research Productivity as an Alternative During the Neurosurgical Residency Selection Process: An Overview. World Neurosurg 2023; 175:130-136.e2. [PMID: 37084844 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Neurosurgery residency programs are the most competitive among the surgical specialties for applicants to match into. U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step 1 scores are staple and pivotal in narrowing down applicants for granting interviews and ranking in the match process. The upcoming transition from a numeric to binary step 1 scoring shifts the emphasis on using the status quo Step 2 Clinical Knowledge numeric scoring as the only objective measure. It can prove insubstantial for accurate assessment of competencies, further urging residency programs to widen their selection protocols to allow multiple assessments of competency. Research experience has consistently proved to result in higher successful match rates, and a positive correlation is seen with the number of research publications and Hirsch indices. However, with a predicted emphasis on research with the shift in scoring practices, these tools provide inadequate insight into authorship, contributions, type of publications, and community impact, warranting the need to include supplementary modifications, surrogates, or alternatives to such tools for a more comprehensive and equitable assessment of research. This study summarizes the role of research in the neurosurgical match process, describes nuances in research evaluation, and introduces novel Hirsch indices and additional strategies to address these nuances for equitable evaluation of research productions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Jaikumar
- Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Bharath Raju
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Fareed Jumah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Anil Nanda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sanjeev Ariyandath Sreenivasan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sudipta Roychowdhury
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
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Govindarajan V, Shah AH, Morell AA, Borowy V, Ingle SM, Mendez Valdez MJ, Rivas S, Eichberg DG, Luther E, Lu V, Heiss J, Komotar RJ, Levi AD. Predicting Academic Career Placement via Development of Novel Intra-residency Metrics. World Neurosurg 2023; 174:e35-e43. [PMID: 36841537 PMCID: PMC10350854 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.02.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Increasing centralization of high-level neurosurgical practice at academic centers has increased the need for academic neurosurgeons. The lack of systematic metrics-based analyses among neurosurgery trainees and the recent pass/fail U.S. Medical Licensing Examination system necessitates a multiparametric approach to assess academic success among trainees. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the University of Miami residency program using 2 data sets, one containing applicants' pre-residency metrics and a second containing trainees' intra-residency metrics. Intra-residency metrics were subjectively and anonymously assessed by faculty. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine differences among academic and non-academic neurosurgeons and identify predictors of academic careers. RESULTS Academic neurosurgeons had a significantly higher median Step 1 percentile relative to non-academic neurosurgeons (P = 0.015), and medical school ranking had no significant impact on career (P > 0.05). Among intra-residency metrics, academic neurosurgeons demonstrated higher mean rating of leadership skills (mean difference [MD] 0.46, P = 0.0011), technical skill (MD 0.42, P = 0.006), and other intra-residency metrics. Higher administrative and leadership skills were significantly associated with increased likelihood of pursuing an academic career (odds ratio [OR] 9.03, 95% CI [2.296 to 49.88], P = 0.0044). Clinical judgment and clinical knowledge were strongly associated with pursuit of an academic career (OR 9.33 and OR 9.32, respectively, with P = 0.0060 and P = 0.0010, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Pre-residency metrics had little predictive value in determining academic careers. Furthermore, medical school ranking does not play a significant role in determining a career in academic neurosurgery. Intra-residency judgment appears to play a significant role in career placement, as academic neurosurgeons were rated consistently higher than their non-academic peers in multiple key parameters by their attending physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaidya Govindarajan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Ashish H Shah
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
| | - Alexis A Morell
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Veronica Borowy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Shreya M Ingle
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Mynor J Mendez Valdez
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Sarah Rivas
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel G Eichberg
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Evan Luther
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Victor Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - John Heiss
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ricardo J Komotar
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Allan D Levi
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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Hulou MM, Park MT, Essibayi MA, McLouth CJ, Benner D, Samaan CA, Madriñán-Navia HJ, Howshar JT, Graffeo CS, Lawton MT. Academically Inclined: Predictors of Early Career Trajectory and Avenues for Early Intervention Among Neurosurgery Trainees. Neurosurgery 2023; 92:854-861. [PMID: 36729517 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship of academic activities before and during neurosurgery residency with fellowship or career outcomes has not been studied completely. OBJECTIVE To assess possible predictors of fellowship and career outcomes among neurosurgery residents. METHODS US neurosurgery graduates (2018-2020) were assessed retrospectively for peer-reviewed citations of preresidency vs intraresidency publications, author order, and article type. Additional parameters included medical school, residency program, degree (MD vs DO; PhD), postgraduate fellowship, and academic employment. RESULTS Of 547 neurosurgeons, 334 (61.1%) entered fellowships. Fellowship training was significantly associated with medical school rank and first-author publications. Individuals from medical schools ranked 1 to 50 were 1.6 times more likely to become postgraduate fellows than individuals from medical schools ranked 51 to 92 (odds ratio [OR], 1.63 [95% CI 1.04-2.56]; P = .03). Residents with ≥2 first-author publications were almost twice as likely to complete a fellowship as individuals with <2 first-author publications (OR, 1.91 [95% CI 1.21-3.03]; P = .006). Among 522 graduates with employment data available, academic employment obtained by 257 (49.2%) was significantly associated with fellowship training and all publication-specific variables. Fellowship-trained graduates were twice as likely to pursue academic careers (OR, 1.99 [95% CI 1.34-2.96]; P < .001) as were individuals with ≥3 first-author publications ( P < .001), ≥2 laboratory publications ( P = .04), or ≥9 clinical publications ( P < .001). CONCLUSION Research productivity, medical school rank, and fellowships are independently associated with academic career outcomes of neurosurgeons. Academically inclined residents may benefit from early access to mentorship, sponsorship, and publishing opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Maher Hulou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Marian T Park
- Creighton University School of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Muhammed Amir Essibayi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Dimitri Benner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Humberto Jose Madriñán-Navia
- Center for Research and Training in Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Jacob T Howshar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Christopher S Graffeo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael T Lawton
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Ramos MB, Rech MM, Dagostini CM, Britz JPE, Teixeira MJ, Figueiredo EG. The Author Impact Factor as a Metric to Evaluate the Impact of Neurosurgical Researchers. World Neurosurg 2022; 165:e74-e82. [PMID: 35636666 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.05.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the Author Impact Factor (AIF) as a useful metric and as a complement to the h-index among neurosurgical researchers. METHODS The 5-year AIF and h-index were compared among 3 groups of researchers: 1) the 100 most prolific of all time within general neurosurgical journals ("Experienced"), 2) the 100 most prolific during the 2015-2019 period within general neurosurgical journals ("Trending Group"), and 3) the 100 postgraduation year 7 neurosurgical residents with the highest h-index ("Amateur"). RESULTS The Amateur group had a lower median h-index than the Experienced (6 vs. 55; P < 0.001) and Trending (6 vs. 43; P < 0.001) groups. The highest h-index of the Amateur group (24) was lower than the first quartile of the Experienced (46.25) and Trending (26.00) groups. The Amateur group had a lower median 5-year AIF than the Experienced (2.15 vs. 3.17; P < 0.001) and Trending (2.15 vs. 2.85; P = 0.02) groups. Unlike the h-index, the gap between the 5-year AIF distribution of the Amateur group and other groups was not profound. Although there was a positive correlation between the metrics in the 3 groups, they did not proxy for each other. For instance, while the h-index of some experienced authors that have not published recently was high, their AIFs were zero. Also, some Amateur authors published very impactful articles and had a high 5-year AIF. However, since their number of publications is inevitably low, their h-index were low. CONCLUSIONS The AIF provides intuitive and complementary information to the h-index regarding the research output of neurosurgical authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Bertelli Ramos
- School of Medicine, University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Matheus Machado Rech
- School of Medicine, University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Mignucci-Jiménez G, Xu Y, Houlihan LM, Benner D, Jubran JH, Staudinger Knoll AJ, Labib MA, Dagi TF, Spetzler RF, Lawton MT, Preul MC. Analyzing international medical graduate research productivity for application to US neurosurgery residency and beyond: A survey of applicants, program directors, and institutional experience. Front Surg 2022; 9:899649. [PMID: 35965866 PMCID: PMC9363657 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.899649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The authors investigated perceived discrepancies between the neurosurgical research productivity of international medical graduates (IMGs) and US medical graduates (USMGs) through the perspective of program directors (PDs) and successfully matched IMGs. Methods Responses to 2 separate surveys on neurosurgical applicant research productivity in 115 neurosurgical programs and their PDs were analyzed. Neurosurgical research participation was analyzed using an IMG survey of residents who matched into neurosurgical residency within the previous 8 years. Productivity of IMGs conducting dedicated research at the study institution was also analyzed. Results Thirty-two of 115 (28%) PDs responded to the first research productivity survey and 43 (37%) to the second IMG research survey. PDs expected neurosurgery residency applicants to spend a median of 12–24 months on research (Q1-Q3: 0–12 to 12–24; minimum time: 0–24; maximum time: 0–48) and publish a median of 5 articles (Q1-Q3: 2–5 to 5–10; minimum number: 0–10; maximum number: 4–20). Among 43 PDs, 34 (79%) ranked “research institution or associated personnel” as the most important factor when evaluating IMGs' research. Forty-two of 79 (53%) IMGs responding to the IMG-directed survey reported a median of 30 months (Q1-Q3: 18–48; range: 4–72) of neurosurgical research and 12 published articles (Q1-Q3: 6–24; range: 1–80) before beginning neurosurgical residency. Twenty-two PDs (69%) believed IMGs complete more research than USMGs before residency. Of 20 IMGs conducting dedicated neuroscience/neurosurgery research at the study institution, 16 of 18 who applied matched or entered a US neurosurgical training program; 2 applied and entered a US neurosurgical clinical fellowship. Conclusion The research work of IMGs compared to USMGs who apply to neurosurgery residency exceeds PDs' expectations regarding scientific output and research time. Many PDs perceive IMG research productivity before residency application as superior to USMGs. Although IMGs comprise a small percentage of trainees, they are responsible for a significant amount of US-published neurosurgical literature. Preresidency IMG research periods may be improved with dedicated mentoring and advising beginning before the research period, during the period, and within a neurosurgery research department, providing a formal structure such as a research fellowship or graduate program for IMGs aspiring to train in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Mignucci-Jiménez
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Yuan Xu
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Lena Mary Houlihan
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Dimitri Benner
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Jubran H. Jubran
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Ann J. Staudinger Knoll
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Mohamed A. Labib
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | | | - Robert F. Spetzler
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Michael T. Lawton
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Mark C. Preul
- The Loyal and Edith Davis Neurosurgical Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Mukherjee D. Predictors of Academic Career Trajectory Among Fellowship-Trained Neurosurgical Oncologists. JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2022; 37:430-438. [PMID: 32683630 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-020-01833-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Much research has been conducted to investigate predictors of an academic career trajectory among neurosurgeons in general. This study seeks to examine a cohort of fellowship-trained neurosurgical oncologists to determine which factors are associated with a career in academia. Publicly available data on fellowship-trained neurosurgical oncologists was aggregated from ACGME-accredited residency websites, from program websites listed on the AANS Neurosurgical Fellowship Training Program Directory, and from professional websites including Doximity. Bivariate analyses were conducted to determine covariates for a logistic regression model, and a multivariate analysis was conducted to determine which variables were independently associated with an academic career trajectory. A total of 87 neurosurgical oncologists were identified (1991-2018). A total of 73 (83.9%) had > 1 year of protected research time in residency, 33 (37.9%) had an h-index of ≥2 prior to residency, and 63 (72.4%) had an h-index of ≥2 during residency. In multivariate analysis, the only factor independently associated with academic career trajectory among neurosurgical oncologists was achieving an h-index of ≥2 during residency (odds ratio [OR] = 2.93, p = .041). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center graduated the most neurosurgical oncologists in our cohort (n = 23). Our study establishes a novel factor that is predictive of academic career trajectory among fellowship-trained neurosurgical oncologists, specifically having an h-index of ≥2 during residency. Our results may be useful for those mentoring students and trainees with an interest in pursuing academia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adham M Khalafallah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Adrian E Jimenez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Debraj Mukherjee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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ReFaey K, Freeman WD, Tripathi S, Guerrero-Cazares H, Eatz TA, Meschia JF, Carter RE, Petrucelli L, Meyer FB, Quinones-Hinojosa A. NIH funding trends for neurosurgeon-scientists from 1993-2017: Biomedical workforce implications for neurooncology. J Neurooncol 2021; 154:51-62. [PMID: 34232472 PMCID: PMC8684039 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-021-03797-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurosurgeons represent 0.5% of all physicians and currently face a high burden of disease. Physician-scientists are essential to advance the mission of National Academies of Science (NAS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) through discovery and bench to bedside translation. We investigated trends in NIH neurosurgeon-scientist funding over time as an indicator of physician-scientist workforce training. METHODS We used NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORTER) to extract grants to neurosurgery departments and neurosurgeons from 1993 to 2017. Manual extraction of each individual grant awardee was conducted. RESULTS After adjusting for U.S. inflation (base year: 1993), NIH funding to neurosurgery departments increased yearly (P < 0.00001). However, neurosurgeon-scientists received significantly less NIH funding compared to scientists (including basic scientists and research only neurosurgeons) (P = 0.09). The ratio of neurosurgeon-scientists to scientists receiving grants was significantly reduced (P = 0.002). Interestingly, the percentage of oncology-related neurosurgery grants significantly increased throughout the study period (P = 0.002). The average number of grants per neurosurgeon-scientists showed an upward trend (P < 0.001); however, the average number of grants for early-career neurosurgeon-scientists, showed a significant downward trend (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION Over the past 23 years, despite the overall increasing trends in the number of NIH grants awarded to neurosurgery departments overall, the proportion of neurosurgeon-scientists that were awarded NIH grants compared to scientists demonstrates a declining trend. This observed shift is disproportionate in the number of NIH grants awarded to senior level compared to early-career neurosurgeon-scientists, with more funding allocated towards neurosurgical-oncology-related grants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim ReFaey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - William D Freeman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Shashwat Tripathi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Tiffany A Eatz
- University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - James F Meschia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Rickey E Carter
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA. .,Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd. S, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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11
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Shlobin NA, Larkin CJ, Mukherjee D, Zygourakis CC, Lo SF, Sciubba DM, Bydon A, Witham TF, Dahdaleh NS, Theodore N. Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained spinal neurosurgeons. J Neurosurg Spine 2021; 35:251-258. [PMID: 34116505 DOI: 10.3171/2020.12.spine201771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although fellowship training is becoming increasingly common in neurosurgery, it is unclear which factors predict an academic career trajectory among spinal neurosurgeons. In this study, the authors sought to identify predictors associated with academic career placement among fellowship-trained neurological spinal surgeons. METHODS Demographic data and bibliometric information on neurosurgeons who completed a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education between 1983 and 2019 were gathered, and those who completed a spine fellowship were identified. Employment was denoted as academic if the hospital where a neurosurgeon worked was affiliated with a neurosurgical residency program; all other positions were denoted as nonacademic. A logistic regression model was used for multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 376 fellowship-trained spinal neurosurgeons were identified, of whom 140 (37.2%) held academic positions. The top 5 programs that graduated the most fellows in the cohort were Cleveland Clinic, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of Miami, Barrow Neurological Institute, and Northwestern University. On multivariate analysis, increased protected research time during residency (OR 1.03, p = 0.044), a higher h-index during residency (OR 1.12, p < 0.001), completing more than one clinical fellowship (OR 2.16, p = 0.024), and attending any of the top 5 programs that graduated the most fellows (OR 2.01, p = 0.0069) were independently associated with an academic career trajectory. CONCLUSIONS Increased protected research time during residency, a higher h-index during residency, completing more than one clinical fellowship, and attending one of the 5 programs graduating the most fellowship-trained neurosurgical spinal surgeons independently predicted an academic career. These results may be useful in identifying and advising trainees interested in academic spine neurosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adham M Khalafallah
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Adrian E Jimenez
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nathan A Shlobin
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Collin J Larkin
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Debraj Mukherjee
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Sheng-Fu Lo
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniel M Sciubba
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ali Bydon
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Timothy F Witham
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nader S Dahdaleh
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Nicholas Theodore
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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12
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Mahajan UV, Wadhwa H, Fatemi P, Xu S, Shan J, Benzil DL, Zygourakis CC. Does double-blind peer review impact gender authorship trends? An evaluation of two leading neurosurgical journals from 2010 to 2019. J Neurosurg 2020; 135:352–360. [PMID: 33186905 DOI: 10.3171/2020.6.jns20902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Publications are key for advancement within academia. Although women are underrepresented in academic neurosurgery, the rates of women entering residency, achieving board certification, and publishing papers are increasing. The goal of this study was to assess the current status of women in academic neurosurgery publications. Specifically, this study sought to 1) survey female authorship rates in the Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS [not including JNS: Spine or JNS: Pediatrics]) and Neurosurgery from 2010 to 2019; 2) analyze whether double-blind peer review (started in Neurosurgery in 2011) altered female authorship rates relative to single-blind review (JNS); and 3) evaluate how female authorship rates compared with the number of women entering neurosurgery residency and obtaining neurosurgery board certification. METHODS Genders of the first and last authors for JNS and Neurosurgery articles from 2010 to 2019 were obtained. Data were also gathered on the number and percentage of women entering neurosurgery residency and women obtaining American Board of Neurological Surgeons (ABNS) certification between 2010 and 2019. RESULTS Women accounted for 13.4% (n = 570) of first authors and 6.8% (n = 240) of last authors in JNS and Neurosurgery publications. No difference in rates of women publishing existed between the two journals (first authors: 13.0% JNS vs 13.9% Neurosurgery, p = 0.29; last authors: 7.3% JNS vs 6.0% Neurosurgery, p = 0.25). No difference existed between women first or last authors in Neurosurgery before and after initiation of double-blind review (p = 0.066). Significant concordance existed between the gender of first and last authors: in publications with a woman last author, the odds of the first author being a woman was increased by twofold (OR 2.14 [95% CI 1.43-3.13], p = 0.0001). Women represented a lower proportion of authors of invited papers (8.6% of first authors and 3.1% of last authors were women) compared with noninvited papers (14.1% of first authors and 7.4% of last authors were women) (first authors: OR 0.576 [95% CI 0.410-0.794], p = 0.0004; last authors: OR 0.407 [95% CI 0.198-0.751], p = 0.001). The proportion of women US last authors (7.4%) mirrors the percentage of board-certified women neurosurgeons (5.4% in 2010 and 6.8% in 2019), while the percentage of women US first authors (14.3%) is less than that for women entering neurosurgical residency (11.2% in 2009 and 23.6% in 2018). CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of female authorship in the neurosurgical literature. The authors found that single- versus double-blind peer review did not impact female authorship rates at two top neurosurgical journals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma V Mahajan
- 1School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Harsh Wadhwa
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Parastou Fatemi
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Samantha Xu
- 1School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Judy Shan
- 3University of California at Berkeley, California; and
| | | | - Corinna C Zygourakis
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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13
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Horowitz MA, Camp S, Witham TF, Huang J, Mukherjee D. An Online Calculator for Predicting Academic Career Trajectory in Neurosurgery in the United States. World Neurosurg 2020; 145:e155-e162. [PMID: 33031965 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.09.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Determining factors that predict a career in academic neurosurgery can help to improve neurosurgical training and faculty mentoring efforts. Although many academic career predictors have been established in the literature, no method has yet been developed to allow for individualized predictions of an academic career trajectory. The objective of the present study was to develop a Web-based calculator for predicting the probability of a career in academic neurosurgery. METHODS The present study used data from neurosurgeons listed in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons database. A logistic regression model was used to predict probability of an academic career, and bootstrapping with 2000 samples was used to calculate an optimism-corrected C-statistic. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS A total of 1818 neurosurgeons were included in our analysis. Most surgeons were male (89.7%) and employed in nonacademic positions (60.2%). Factors independently associated with an academic career were female sex, attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News medical school, attaining a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, attaining a Master of Science (MS) degree, higher h-index during residency, more months of protected research time during residency, and completing a clinical fellowship. Our final model had an optimism-corrected C-statistic of 0.74. This model was incorporated into a Web-based calculator (https://neurooncsurgery.shinyapps.io/academic_calculator/). CONCLUSIONS The present study consolidates previous research investigating neurosurgery career predictors into a simple, open-access tool. Our work may serve to better clarify the many factors influencing trainees' likelihood of pursuing a career in academic neurosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adham M Khalafallah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Adrian E Jimenez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Melanie A Horowitz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha Camp
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Timothy F Witham
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Judy Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Debraj Mukherjee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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14
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Daniels M, Bydon A, Cohen AR, Tamargo RJ, Witham T, Huang J, Brem H, Mukherjee D. Educational Program Rankings Are Independently Associated With Residents' Academic Career Trajectory in Neurological Surgery. JOURNAL OF SURGICAL EDUCATION 2020; 77:1312-1320. [PMID: 32245716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many studies have sought to determine predictors of academic career placement in surgical subspecialities. However, previous research has yet to establish whether the ranking of a surgeon's undergraduate institution or medical school is significantly associated with pursuit of an academic career. The purpose of this study was to investigate these novel factors' predictive impact on an academic career in the surgical subspeciality of neurosurgery. Factors investigated included undergraduate university rankings, medical school rankings, and residency program rankings. DESIGN Data were retrospectively collected for 884 alumni of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education neurological surgery residency programs. Bivariate analyses were conducted to determine covariates for a logistic regression model, and multivariate analysis was performed with 13 covariates to determine which factors were independently associated with academic career trajectory. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, factors that were independently associated with an academic career in neurological surgery included having 1 year or more of protected research time during residency (odds ratio [OR] =1.96, p = 0.020), attending a "top" undergraduate university (OR =1.88, p = 0.00033), attending a "top" research medical school (OR = 1.53, p = 0.031) attending a residency program affiliated with a "top" research medical school (OR = 1.78, p = 0.012), possessing a Master of Science (OR = 3.46, p = 0.00097), or Doctor of Philosophy (OR = 2.05, p = 0.0019) degree, and completing a clinical fellowship (OR = 2.56, p = 1.90 × 10-8). CONCLUSIONS Our study establishes 3 novel factors for predicting residents' choice of pursuing an academic career in neurological surgery, namely undergraduate university rank, medical school rank, and completing residency at a program affiliated with a "top" research medical school. Such findings reinforce the notion that educational and training environments are key in shaping the career trajectory of future academic surgical subspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adham M Khalafallah
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Adrian E Jimenez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Marcus Daniels
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ali Bydon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alan R Cohen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rafael J Tamargo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Timothy Witham
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Judy Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Henry Brem
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Debraj Mukherjee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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15
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Stumpo V, Latour K, Traylor JI, Staartjes VE, Giordano M, Caccavella VM, Olivi A, Ricciardi L, Signorelli F. Medical Student Interest and Recruitment in Neurosurgery. World Neurosurg 2020; 141:448-454.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.04.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Association between Graduate Degrees and Publication Productivity in Academic Neurosurgery. Can J Neurol Sci 2020; 47:666-674. [DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2020.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT:Object:Many neurosurgeons pursue graduate degrees as part of their training. In some jurisdictions, graduate degrees are considered a necessary condition of employment in academic neurosurgery. However, the relationship between possession of a graduate degree and eventual research productivity is not well established. We used bibliometric methods to analyze publications from academic Canadian neurosurgeons, with an emphasis on level of graduate training.Methods:All neurosurgeons holding academic appointments at Canadian institutions from 2012–2016 were included. Over that time frame, Scopus was used to quantify the number of papers, number of citations, 5-year h-index and 5-year r-index, CiteScore, authorship position, and paper type (clinical or basic science). Publication output was compared between neurosurgeons grouped as MD-only, MD-Masters, or MD-PhD.Results:In total, 2557 abstracts from 131 Canadian neurosurgeons were analyzed. We found that MD-Masters neurosurgeons published significantly more total papers, clinical papers, and first/last author papers than MD-only neurosurgeons. MD-PhD neurosurgeons had the same findings, in addition to more basic science papers, in journals with a higher CiteScore, 5-year h-index, and 5-year r-index than both other groups. These results were preserved even with significant outliers removed. There was no difference if graduate degrees were obtained before or after starting residency. There was no correlation with career length and number of recent papers published.Conclusion:The attainment of a graduate degree has an important association with future publication productivity for academic neurosurgeons. These data should be useful for hiring committees considering the value of graduate degrees from applicants for positions in academic neurosurgery.
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Caplan JM, McDougall CG, Huang J, Mukherjee D, Tamargo RJ. Predictors of an academic career among fellowship-trained open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. J Neurosurg 2020; 134:1173-1181. [PMID: 32302986 DOI: 10.3171/2020.2.jns2033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have explored factors that predict an academic career among neurosurgery residents in general, such predictors have yet to be determined within specific neurosurgical subspecialties. The authors report on predictors they identified as correlating with academic placement among fellowship-trained vascular neurosurgeons. METHODS A database was created that included all physicians who graduated from ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)-accredited neurosurgery residency programs between 1960 and 2018 using publicly available online data. Neurosurgeons who completed either open vascular or endovascular fellowships were identified. Subsequent employment of vascular or endovascular neurosurgeons in academic centers was determined. A position was considered academic if the hospital of employment was affiliated with a neurosurgery residency program; all other positions were considered non-academic. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Fisher's exact test or the Mann-Whitney U-test, and multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS A total of 83 open vascular neurosurgeons and 115 endovascular neurosurgeons were identified. In both cohorts, the majority of neurosurgeons were employed in academic positions after training. In bivariate analysis, only 2 factors were significantly associated with a career in academic neurosurgery for open vascular neurosurgeons: 1) an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 3.71, p = 0.016), and 2) attending a top 10 residency program based on U.S. News and World Report rankings (OR 4.35, p = 0.030). In bivariate analysis, among endovascular neurosurgeons, having an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency (OR 4.35, p = 0.0085) and attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school (OR 2.97, p = 0.029) were significantly associated with an academic career. In multivariate analysis, for both open vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons, an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency was independently predictive of an academic career. Attending a residency program affiliated with a top 10 U.S. News and World Report medical school independently predicted an academic career among endovascular neurosurgeons only. CONCLUSIONS The authors report that an h-index of ≥ 2 during residency predicts pursuit of an academic career among vascular and endovascular neurosurgeons. Additionally, attendance of a residency program affiliated with a top research medical school independently predicts an academic career trajectory among endovascular neurosurgeons. This result may be useful to identify and mentor residents interested in academic vascular neurosurgery.
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Khan NR, Saad H, Oravec CS, Norrdahl SP, Fraser B, Wallace D, Lillard JC, Motiwala M, Nguyen VN, Lee SL, Jones AV, Ajmera S, Kalakoti P, Dave P, Moore KA, Akinduro O, Nyenwe E, Vaughn B, Michael LM, Klimo P. An Analysis of Publication Productivity During Residency for 1506 Neurosurgical Residents and 117 Residency Departments in North America. Neurosurgery 2020; 84:857-867. [PMID: 29850872 DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyy217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bibliometrics is defined as the study of statistical and mathematical methods used to quantitatively analyze scientific literature. The application of bibliometrics in neurosurgery continues to evolve. OBJECTIVE To calculate a number of publication productivity measures for almost all neurosurgical residents and departments within North America. These measures were correlated with survey results on the educational environment within residency programs. METHODS During May to June 2017, data were collected from departmental websites and Scopus to compose a bibliometric database of neurosurgical residents and residency programs. Data related to authorship value and study content were collected on all articles published by residents. A survey of residency program research and educational environment was administered to program directors and coordinators; results were compared with resident academic productivity. RESULTS The median number of publications in residency was 3; median h-index and Resident index were 1 and 0.17 during residency, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in academic productivity among male neurosurgical residents compared with females. The majority of articles published were tier 1 clinical articles. Residency program research support was significantly associated with increased resident productivity (P < .001). Scholarly activity requirements were not associated with increased resident academic productivity. CONCLUSION This study represents the most comprehensive bibliometric assessment of neurosurgical resident academic productivity during training to date. New benchmarks for individual and department academic productivity are provided. A supportive research environment for neurosurgical residents is associated with increased academic productivity, but a scholarly activity requirement was, surprisingly, not shown to have a positive effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickalus R Khan
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Hassan Saad
- Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Chesney S Oravec
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Brittany Fraser
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - David Wallace
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jock C Lillard
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Mustafa Motiwala
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Vincent N Nguyen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Siang Liao Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Louisiana
| | - Anna V Jones
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Sonia Ajmera
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | | | - Kenneth A Moore
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Olutomi Akinduro
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Brandy Vaughn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - L Madison Michael
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.,Semmes Murphey, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Paul Klimo
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.,Department of Neurosurgery, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.,Semmes Murphey, Memphis, Tennessee
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19
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Khalafallah AM, Jimenez AE, Tamargo RJ, Witham T, Huang J, Brem H, Mukherjee D. Impact of master's degree attainment upon academic career placement in neurosurgery. J Neurosurg 2019; 134:295-303. [PMID: 31812143 DOI: 10.3171/2019.9.jns192346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous authors have investigated many factors that predict an academic neurosurgical career over private practice, including attainment of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and number of publications. Research has yet to demonstrate whether a master's degree predicts an academic neurosurgical career. This study quantifies the association between obtaining a Master of Science (MS), Master of Public Health (MPH), or Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and pursuing a career in academic neurosurgery. METHODS Public data on neurosurgeons who had graduated from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited residency programs in the period from 1949 to 2019 were collected from residency and professional websites. Residency graduates with a PhD were excluded to isolate the effect of only having a master's degree. A position was considered "academic" if it was affiliated with a hospital that had a neurosurgery residency program; other positions were considered nonacademic. Bivariate analyses were performed with Fisher's exact test. Multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS Within our database of neurosurgery residency alumni, there were 47 (4.1%) who held an MS degree, 31 (2.7%) who held an MPH, and 10 (0.9%) who held an MBA. In bivariate analyses, neurosurgeons with MS degrees were significantly more likely to pursue academic careers (OR 2.65, p = 0.0014, 95% CI 1.40-5.20), whereas neurosurgeons with an MPH (OR 1.41, p = 0.36, 95% CI 0.64-3.08) or an MBA (OR 1.00, p = 1.00, 95% CI 0.21-4.26) were not. In the multivariate analysis, an MS degree was independently associated with an academic career (OR 2.48, p = 0.0079, 95% CI 1.28-4.93). Moreover, postresidency h indices of 1 (OR 1.44, p = 0.048, 95% CI 1.00-2.07), 2-3 (OR 2.76, p = 2.01 × 10-8, 95% CI 1.94-3.94), and ≥ 4 (OR 4.88, p < 2.00 × 10-16, 95% CI 3.43-6.99) were all significantly associated with increased odds of pursuing an academic career. Notably, having between 1 and 11 months of protected research time was significantly associated with decreased odds of pursuing academic neurosurgery (OR 0.46, p = 0.049, 95% CI 0.21-0.98). CONCLUSIONS Neurosurgery residency graduates with MS degrees are more likely to pursue academic neurosurgical careers relative to their non-MS counterparts. Such findings may be used to help predict residency graduates' future potential in academic neurosurgery.
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Kilinc F, Gessler F, Dubinski D, Won SY, Quick-Weller J, Seifert V, Behmanesh B. Academic output of German neurosurgical residents in 35 academic neurosurgery residency programs. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2019; 161:1969-1974. [PMID: 31321540 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-019-04011-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The scientific activity of neurosurgeons and neurosurgery residents as measured by bibliometric parameters is of increased interest. While data about academic output for neurosurgeons in the USA, the UK, and Canada have been published, no similar results for German neurosurgical residents exist. Within this study, we aim to evaluate the academic output of German neurosurgery residents in 35 academic residency programs. METHODS Data for each resident were collected from the departmental websites, Pubmed, and Scopus. Further analyses evaluated the relationship between publication productivity, sex, and academic degree (Dr. med.). RESULTS Data from 424 neurosurgery residents were analyzed. A total of 1222 publications were considered. A total of 355 (29%) of the 1222 publications were first-author publications. The average number of publications per resident was 2.9; the average h-index and m-quotient was 1.1 and 0.4, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in academic output and h-index among neurosurgical residents with a doctoral degree compared with residents without such degree (5.3 vs. 1.3, p < 0.0001 and 2.0 vs. 0.5, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION This is the very first study evaluating the academic output of neurosurgical residents in academic neurosurgical departments in Germany.
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The Career Impact of the National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition. World Neurosurg 2019; 133:e535-e539. [PMID: 31562974 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.09.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurosurgery is a notoriously difficult career to enter and requires medical students to engage in extracurricular activities to demonstrate their commitment to the specialty. The National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition (NUNC) was established in 2013 as a means for students to display this commitment as well as academic ability. METHODS A bespoke 22-item questionnaire was designed to determine career outcomes and the role of competition attendance in job applications. It was distributed using the SurveyMonkey website to the 87 attendees at the 2013 and 2014 competitions. RESULTS Responses were received by 40 competitors (response rate, 46.0%). Twenty-four responders (60.0%) intended to pursue a career in either neurosurgery (n = 18) or neurology (n = 6). This included 10 responders (25.0%) who had successfully entered either neurosurgery (n = 9) or neurology (n = 1). The performance of these 10 was significantly better than the other responders (57.0 ± 13.6% vs. 46.5 ± 13.5% [n = 30]; P = 0.036). Seventeen responders (42.5%) either included their attendance at NUNC in a post-Foundation job application or intend to. CONCLUSIONS The NUNC provides the opportunity for medical students to demonstrate their interest in neurosurgery. It has the potential to be used as a tool for recognizing medical students suitable for neurosurgery training.
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Karsy M, Henderson F, Tenny S, Guan J, Amps JW, Friedman AH, Spiotta AM, Patel S, Kestle JRW, Jensen RL, Couldwell WT. Attitudes and opinions of US neurosurgical residents toward research and scholarship: a national survey. J Neurosurg 2019; 131:252-263. [PMID: 30117774 DOI: 10.3171/2018.3.jns172846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The analysis of resident research productivity in neurosurgery has gained significant recent interest. Resident scholarly output affects departmental productivity, recruitment of future residents, and likelihood of future research careers. To maintain and improve opportunities for resident research, the authors evaluated factors that affect resident attitudes toward neurosurgical research on a national level. METHODS An online survey was distributed to all US neurosurgical residents. Questions assessed interest in research, perceived departmental support of research, and resident-perceived limitations in pursuing research. Residents were stratified based on number of publications above the median (AM; ≥ 14) or below the median (BM; < 14) for evaluation of factors influencing productivity. RESULTS A total of 278 resident responses from 82 US residency programs in 30 states were included (a 20% overall response rate). Residents predominantly desired future academic positions (53.2%), followed by private practice with some research (40.3%). Residents reported a mean ± SD of 11 ± 14 publications, which increased with postgraduate year level. The most common type of research involved retrospective cohort studies (24%) followed by laboratory/benchtop (19%) and case reports (18%). Residents as a group spent on average 14.1 ± 18.5 hours (median 7.0 hours) a week on research. Most residents (53.6%) had ≥ 12 months of protected research time. Mentorship (92.4%), research exposure (89.9%), and early interest in science (78.4%) had the greatest impact on interest in research while the most limiting factors were time (91.0%), call scheduling (47.1%), and funding/grants (37.1%). AM residents cited research exposure (p = 0.003), neurosurgery conference exposure (p = 0.02), formal research training prior to residency (p = 0.03), internal funding sources (p = 0.05), and software support (p = 0.02) as most important for their productivity. Moreover, more productive residents applied and received a higher number of < $10,000 and ≥ $10,000 grants (p < 0.05). A majority of residents (82.4%) agreed or strongly agreed with pursuing research throughout their professional careers. Overall, about half of residents (49.6%) were encouraged toward continued neurosurgical research, while the rest were neutral (36.7%) or discouraged (13.7%). Free-text responses helped to identify solutions on a departmental, regional, and national level that could increase interest in neurosurgical research. CONCLUSIONS This survey evaluates various factors affecting resident views toward research, which may also be seen in other specialties. Residents remain enthusiastic about neurosurgical research and offer several solutions to the ever-scarce commodities of time and funding within academic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Karsy
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Fraser Henderson
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Steven Tenny
- 3Division of Neurosurgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Jian Guan
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Jeremy W Amps
- 4Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; and
| | - Allan H Friedman
- 5Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Alejandro M Spiotta
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Sunil Patel
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - John R W Kestle
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Randy L Jensen
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - William T Couldwell
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Ajmera S, Lee RP, Schultz A, Hersh DS, Lepard J, Xu R, Saad H, Akinduro O, Justo M, Fraser BD, Motiwala M, Dave P, Jimenez B, Wallace DA, Osikoya O, Norrdahl S, Dooley JH, Khan NR, Vaughn BN, Maher CO, Klimo P. Postgraduate publishing output in pediatric neurosurgery: correlation with fellowship site and individual scholars. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2019; 24:343-351. [PMID: 31226678 DOI: 10.3171/2019.4.peds18717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to analyze the publication output of postgraduate pediatric neurosurgery fellows for a 10-year period as well as identify 25 individual highly productive pediatric neurosurgeons. The correlation between academic productivity and the site of fellowship training was studied. METHODS Programs certified by the Accreditation Council for Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowships that had 5 or more graduating fellows from 2006 to 2015 were included for analysis. Fellows were queried using Scopus for publications during those 10 years with citation data through 2017. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, comparing program rankings of faculty against fellows using the revised Hirsch index (r-index; primary) and Hirsch index (h-index; secondary). A list of 25 highly accomplished individual academicians and their fellowship training locations was compiled. RESULTS Sixteen programs qualified with 152 fellows from 2006 to 2015; 136 of these surgeons published a total of 2009 articles with 23,735 citations. Most publications were pediatric-specific (66.7%) clinical articles (93.1%), with middle authorship (55%). Co-investigators were more likely from residency than fellowship. There was a clustering of the top 7 programs each having total publications of around 120 or greater, publications per fellow greater than 12, more than 1200 citations, and adjusted ir10 (revised 10-year institutional h-index) and ih10 (10-year institutional h-index) values of approximately 2 or higher. Correlating faculty and fellowship program rankings yielded correlation coefficients ranging from 0.53 to 0.80. Fifteen individuals (60%) in the top 25 (by r5 index) list completed their fellowship at 1 of these 7 institutions. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 90% of fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeons have 1 or more publications, but the spectrum of output is broad. There is a strong correlation between where surgeons complete their fellowships and postgraduate publications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan P Lee
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - David S Hersh
- 3Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jacob Lepard
- 4Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | | | - Hassan Saad
- 5Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nickalus R Khan
- 3Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Cormac O Maher
- 8Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
| | - Paul Klimo
- 3Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- 7Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
- 9Semmes Murphey, Memphis, Tennessee
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Jean WC, Felbaum DR. Impact of Training and Practice Environment on Academic Productivity of Early Career Academic Neurosurgeons. World Neurosurg 2019; 121:e892-e897. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Zuckerman SL, Kelly PD, Dewan MC, Morone PJ, Yengo-Kahn AM, Magarik JA, Baticulon RE, Zusman EE, Solomon GS, Wellons JC. Predicting Resident Performance from Preresidency Factors: A Systematic Review and Applicability to Neurosurgical Training. World Neurosurg 2018; 110:475-484.e10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.11.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Is There a Formula for Residency Selection of Future Academic Neurosurgeons? World Neurosurg 2017; 105:988-989. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.04.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Khan NR, Klimo P, Michael LM. Predicting Academic Career Placement: Neurosurgery's Quest for the Holy Grail. World Neurosurg 2017; 101:746-747. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Ambition: Predicting and Pursuing an Academic Neurosurgical Career. World Neurosurg 2017; 101:766-767. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.02.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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