The cost of resident scholarly activity and its effect on resident clinical experience.

BACKGROUND: Scholarly activity is an important aspect of the academic training of future anesthesiologists. However, residents’ scholarly activity may reduce training caseloads and increase departmental costs. METHODS: We conducted this study within a large academic anesthesiology residency program with data from the 4 graduating classes of 2009 through 2012. Scholarly activity included peer-reviewed manuscripts, case reports, poster presentations at conferences, book chapters, or any other publications. It was not distinguished whether a resident was the principal investigator or a coinvestigator on a project. The following data were collected on each resident: months spent on a resident research rotation, number of scholarly projects completed, number of research conferences attended, and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case entries. Comparison was made between residents electing a resident research rotation with those who did not for (1) scholarly projects, (2) research conference attendance, and (3) Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case numbers. Cost to the department for extra clinical coverage during residents’ time spent on research activities was calculated using an estimated average cost of $675 ± $176 (mean ± SD) per day with local certified registered nurse anesthetist pay scales. RESULTS: Sixty-eight residents were included in the analyses. Twenty-four residents (35.3%) completed resident research rotations with an average duration of 3.7 months. Residents who elected resident research rotations completed more scholarly projects (5 projects [4–6]: median [25%–75% interquartile range] vs 2 [0–3]; P CONCLUSIONS: Residents’ scholarly activities require significant departmental financial support. Residents who elected to spend months conducting research completed significantly more scholarly projects but experienced fewer clinical cases.