© Springer International Publishing AG 2018 249
T.S. Köhler, B. Schwartz (eds.), Surgeons as Educators,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64728-9_15
D.I. Dynda, MD (*) • B. Holland, MD
Division of Urology/Center for Clinical Research,
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine,
301 N. 8th Street, 4th Floor, Springfield, IL 62794-9665, USA
e-mail: [email protected]
T.S. Köhler, MD, MPH
Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
15
Optimizing Research in Surgical
Residents and Medical Students
Danuta I. Dynda, Bradley Holland, and Tobias S. Köhler
Introduction
Excuse me Doctor, how can I get involved in research?Residents and medical students pose this question to faculty at medical schools
and residency programs across the country. Research is quickly becoming a strongly
recommended option for medical students and an outright requirement in medical
schools, surgical residencies, and fellowship programs throughout the United States
[ 1 ]. In the ever-increasing competitive environment for residency, fellowship, and
academic positions in general surgery and especially its varying subspecialties,
research has become the go-to option for gaining that competitive edge for these
highly sought-after positions. The first challenge is to inspire surgical trainees to
utilize and amplify their natural curiosity. The next challenge is to find the right
research opportunities within their respective departments and institutions while
having actual time to commit to these projects without hurting other aspects of their
training (i.e., class load and rotations). The final challenge remains on how to go
about conducting this research with the appropriate training and oversight so as to
produce a timely, quality finished product that is publishable or presentable without
violating any rules.