Predictors of an initial academic position in emergency medicine

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Terry Singhapricha, Emory University; Olivia Minkhorst, Emory University; Tim Moran, Emory University; Jonathan Swanson, Emory University; Philip Shayne, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-01-01
• Publisher: eScholarship Publishing, University of California
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 Singhapricha et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2018.10.39096
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine
• ISSN: 1936-900X
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 127
• End Page: 131
• Grant/Funding Information: There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.
• Keywords: Georgia; Emergency Medicine; Career Choice; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Female; Internship and Residency; Male; Logistic Models
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

Introduction: Each year, emergency medicine (EM) residency graduates enter a variety of community and academic positions. For some training programs, the potential for an academic career is a consideration during the interview process; however, no studies have looked at factors that might predict an academic career. Our goal was to identify variables present during the EM application cycle that predict an initial academic position. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed application materials from 211 EM graduates at Emory University from 2003-2013. We analyzed biographical variables, board scores, personal statements, and both undergraduate and medical school research experience and publications. An academic position was defined as working at a site with residents rotating in the emergency department, full or part-time appointment at a medical school, or a position with research required for promotion. We used a logistic regression model to determine the impact of these predictors on obtaining an initial academic position. Results: A total of 79 (37%) graduates initially chose an academic job, and 132 (63%) took a community position. We identified the following statistically significant variables: younger age (odds ratio [OR] [0.79], 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.67-0.93], p=0.01); undergraduate publications (OR [1.41], 95% CI [1.08-1.83], p=0.01); and medical school publications (OR [3.39], 95% CI [1.66-6.94], p<0.001). Of note, mention of an academic career in the personal statement showed no statistical correlation (p = 0.41). Conclusion: Younger age, and undergraduate and medical school publications were the variables most associated with an initial academic position. As this is a single-institution study, more studies are needed to validate these findings.