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ForwardWMJ Vol 122 Issue 4: The Impact of a Scholarly Concentration Program on Medical Student Research in Pediatrics
ABSTRACT
Introduction: To promote scientific inquiry, medical schools encourage medical students to participate in scholarly concentration programs (SCP). Manuscript publishing, a proxy of productivity, enhances medical student understanding of scientific inquiry. To evaluate an elective medical SCP offered between the first two years of medical school, the pediatrician authors’ primary aim was to study the publishing productivity of the program participants in the University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Pediatrics compared to other departments. Secondary aims were to study whether productivity was influenced by the following predictors: (1) self-identified medical student gender, (2) working with a frequent mentor, (3) mentor degree, (4) funding source, and (5) area of research.
Methods: PubMed joint publications from 2002 through 2017 were searched using both medical student and mentor names through 2 years post-graduation.
Results: From all UW School of Medicine Public Health departments, 1108 medical students self-selected projects and mentors. One hundred two (9.2%) students chose the Department of Pediatrics. The majority of these students were female (61%) compared to female medical student participation (42%) in other departments (P = 0.0004). The majority of projects were clinical (53%), with basic science (26%) and public/global health (21%) following, though with more public/global health projects chosen in the Department of Pediatrics (P = 0.002) versus other departments. Overall, frequent mentors improved publication rates (P=0.0008), though frequent mentors (P = 0.45) and publication rates (P = 0.60) did not differ between pediatrics and other departments.
Conclusions: Medical students’ SCP manuscript productivity benefitted from working with frequent mentors, but productivity in the Department of Pediatrics did not differ from other departments.
Intended Audience
The intended audience for this journal-based activity is healthcare providers caring for the people and communities of Wisconsin and beyond.
Learning Objectives
As a result of this journal-based activity, learners will be able to:
- Summarize the impact of an elective scholarly concentration program (SCP) on medical student research in the department of Pediatrics compared to other departments in a medical school.
- Elaborate on the study findings regarding the influence of (1) self-identified medical student gender, (2) working with a frequent mentor, (3) mentor degree, (4) funding source, and (5) area of research on publishing productivity of the SCP participants.
- Discuss how engagement of medical students in the research process influences the choice of residency program and future professional practice.
FACULTY DISCLOSURE
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation.
For this accredited continuing education activity all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed below.
| Name of Individual | Individual's Role in Activity | Financial Relationship Disclosure | Discussion of |
| Marianna Shershneva, MD, PhD | Accreditation Specialist | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Adam S. Bauer, MD | Author | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Pamela J. Kling, MD | Author | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Vera Tsenkova, PhD | Author | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Ethan Rosen, BS | Author | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Elizabeth Petty, MD | Author | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Robert Treat, PhD | Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Norman Fost, MD, MPH | Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Fahad Aziz, MD | Editor | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
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*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on, patients.
The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
Accreditation
Accreditation Statement
 | In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP and the Wisconsin Medical Journal. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
Credit Designation Statements
American Medical Association (AMA)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this journal-based CE activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Education Units
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 0.1 continuing education units (CEUs) or 1 hour.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AAPA Category 1 CME
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 1.00 ANCC Contact Hours
- 1.00 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
- 1.00 Approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
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