Surgeons as Educators A Guide for Academic Development and Teaching Excellence

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Inspiring Research

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it: boldness has genius, power and magic in

it. W.H. Murray

The earth used to be flat and was located at the center of the universe, and smok-
ing used to be good for you. Without curiosity, questioning of the status quo, and the
scientific method, we still might believe the previous lists were true. Anyone who
has children knows they are naturally curious, often asking why? a bewildering
amount of times consecutively. What happens to this natural curiosity as we age and
become capable of answering some of these questions for ourselves? Surgical train-
ees are some of the most hardworking and intelligent humans on the planet. How
can we help (re)foster their natural curiosity and inspire them to try to answer ques-
tions they are passionate about?
Other chapters in this textbook demonstrate the power of culture in an organization.
Is the culture in your department one of intellectual curiosity? Does the faculty lead by
example and attempt and accomplish noteworthy research? Surgical trainees should be
taught to question what they are taught. A flattened hierarchy where this type of ques-
tioning is allowed improves patient care and stimulates the intellectual curiosity from
everyone. What are the scholarly requirements for your department? Our division cur-
rently requires one prepared manuscript submitted for publication per resident per year
along with mandatory abstract submissions and presentations in our local and regional
meetings. There is a rich history of surgical education culture at Southern Illinois
University School of Medicine (SIUSOM) – starting with its founders declaring it as a
core value. SIUSOM holds annual internal surgical research days where research is
acknowledged and celebrated. Competitions and awards for best research are given to
faculty (junior and senior), residents and fellows, and medical students. Does your
department create the means and opportunity to do research for faculty and surgical
trainees? How is research production rewarded or compensated? SIUSOM was deter-
mined to try to balance academic accomplishments in research and teaching with clini-
cal productivity To accomplish this, the Academic Incentive Program (AIP) was
created [ 2 ]. In brief, this system utilized a list of teaching, research, and academic ser-
vice activities with which full-time faculty used to report activities. Clinical faculty
members received incentive income based on credits earned based on 5% of practice
plan receipts. Similar successful systems have been developed at other institutions.
Dr. Donald Coffey, Professor of Urology, Oncology, and Pharmacology at Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine, poses his “real final exam” to any student,
resident, or fellow that has come through his laboratory or classroom with the hope
that it will provoke their scientific thought process and serve as a guide in research
and in life [ 3 ]. He states:

I have no more insight into science than many others; I was just naïve enough to list the

obvious to which most of us are blinded because of measurements by false yardstick and

examples which are always in vogue. I know that with time you can expand and improve

your own list. In my weakness, I give students so many sheets or handouts of useless data

to memorize that I thought a few important concepts might be worth sharing with you.

D.I. Dynda et al.