We are sensitive to the many demands placed on resident physicians during their post-graduate training. Why then to we require the completion of a scholarly project during the residency?

First, it is required by the Residency Review Committee (RRC). The RRC residency requirements state: "The curriculum should include resident experience in scholarly activity prior to completion of the program. Some examples of suitable resident scholarly activities are the preparation of a scholarly paper such as a collective review or case report, active participation in a research project or formulation and implementation of an original research project. Residents must be taught an understanding of basic research methodologies, statistical analysis and critical analysis of current medical literature."

More importantly, we strongly believe there are important skills a resident should acquire during post-graduate training. These include tools for life-long learning, an understanding of how to use medical research and basic research concepts, an awareness of the importance of information management in healthcare, and the application of evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills. These EBM skills include formulating questions, searching for answers, critically analyzing research to weigh the evidence, and applying the evidence to the care of patients or populations. These skills are taught during clinical care, in didactic sessions, in Journal Club, and by having residents complete a Scholarly Activity project.

Scholarly Activity Options

To fulfill the Scholarly Activity requirement, each resident must participate in or complete one of the following by the end of his or her residency:

• Original research project: The resident serves as principal investigator, co-investigator, or a sub-investigator on a project. Presentation of the protocol and/or completed project at EM Research Day is required. A written manuscript, although encouraged, is not required.
• Evidence-based Medicine Critically Appraised Topic ("CAT"): The resident chooses a clinical question, searches the literature for pertinent articles, and writes approximately 10 one-page critiques in the style of ACP Journal Club. These articles and reviews are assembled in a notebook and filed for future use by our training program.
• Product invention/development: The resident designs a medical product/device. A written description and prototype or product are required. In addition, the resident will review the patent process and protection of intellectual properties.
• Computer project: The resident designs a computer program or educational project. A written description and completed prototype or product are required. The resident reviews the process for protecting intellectual properties.
• Practice guidelines: Using evidence based medicine skills, the residents investigates a clinical questions, searches for pertinent articles and/or previously-written guidelines, assesses their validity, and develops a departmental practice guideline. Example: "What are the indications for prescribing antibiotics to patients with acute bronchitis?"
• Case report: A publication-ready manuscript is required.
• Collective review: The resident identifies a topic, performs a literature search, and prepares a manuscript following the style established by the Annals of Emergency Medicine

 

General Instructions

• All projects should have a faculty sponsor/mentor (Emergency Medicine, Trauma, Radiology, etc.). Try to pair up with a faculty member who is initiating a project or one who shares an interest in your topic of research.
• The Assistant Director for Scholarly Activities (Kevin Terrell, DO), other faculty, the Methodist Research Institute, and Indiana University School of Medicine biostatisticians are here to help formulate the project and assist with the mechanics.
• Collaboration with other Emergency Medicine Residents or residents from other departments is particularly encouraged. This helps spreads the work load and promotes continuity.
• Keep the project simple and doable. The first step is formulating an answerable question.
• Focus your energies. Pick one topic you're interested in and complete it. The tendency is to be interested in numerous topics and getting none really going.
• Set a time table early. Projects almost invariably take longer than anticipated. Good scholarly activity projects cannot be started and completed by "pulling an all-nighter."
• Initiation and completion of the project is the responsibility of the resident and is a requirement for graduation.
• Consider taking an Emergency Medicine Research elective. At least three weeks of the month must be allocated for project completion.

 

Emergency Medicine Research Day

• EM Research Day is held the last Friday in April. Plan early to discuss this with your attending for April. Since 1989, the President-Elect of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine is the invited guest speaker.
• Not all resident projects are presented at Research Day.
• Research Day is a mix of presentations of research projects by residents, nurses, faculty, and medical students as well as didactic sessions.
• Many of the Research Day presentations will be a discussion of the project protocols or data collection in progress.
• The format for original research follows that of national peer-review research meetings: a 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of discussions.
• For more information click here.

 

Emergency Medicine Research Travel
Reimbursement Policy

Emergency Medicine faculty, residents, nurses, and students are strongly urged to submit their projects not only for publication but to peer-reviewed research meetings and competitions.

Presentations at the SAEM Annual Meeting and the ACEP Research Forum are particularly encouraged.

Air fare and a per diem stipend will be reimbursed for any approved peer-reviewed research presentations in the continental United States.

The research presentation subsidization will be extended one year post-graduation for projects undertaken during the EM residency.

© 2003, Department of Emergency Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana

 

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