Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40385844›Full record

ReviewCureus2025

Publication Volume and Equity in Competitive Surgical Residency Programs: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 2023-2024 Match.

Garrett Dyess, Maxon Bassett, Noah Baker, Christian Cooper, Isabella Dinelli, Qays Aljabi, Ryan McIlwain, Joshua Baroody, Danner W Butler, Ben Sotello and 10 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Garrett DyessMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Maxon BassettMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Noah BakerMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Christian CooperOrthopedic Surgery, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Isabella DinelliMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Qays AljabiMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Ryan McIlwainMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Joshua BaroodyMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Danner W ButlerMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Ben SotelloHealth Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Michael RalloMedical School, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, USA.
Neil GoldsmithMathematics, William Carey University, Hattiesburg, USA.
Benjamin DribbusMathematics, William Carey University, Hattiesburg, USA.
Harris BolusMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Charles OglesMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Ivy NguyenMedical School, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Jai ThakurNeurosurgery, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.
Nitin AgarwalNeurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA.
Phillip V GordonNeonatology, Infirmary Health, Mobile, USA.
Richard P MengerNeurosurgery and Political Science, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The "Charting Outcomes in the Match" report by the National Resident Matching Program compiles data on abstracts, presentations, and publications (APPs) but does not specify the number of peer-reviewed publications. Prior research indicates discrepancies between the number of APPs and peer-reviewed publications. This study aimed to characterize the drivers of heightened publication rates among applicants who match into competitive surgical residencies.A retrospective cohort comparison study was conducted from October 2023 to January 2024. Data were extracted using publicly available information. An institutional review board waiver was obtained from the University of South Alabama. All applicants in the United States who successfully matched in 2023 into orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, or neurosurgery were investigated. Extracted data included matched specialty, sex, graduating from a top-40 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded medical school, attending residency at the same institution where one graduated, additional degree, and matching into a top-40 Doximity-ranked residency program. The primary outcome was the number of peer-reviewed publications by matched applicants in each specialty. Secondary outcomes assessed the impact of demographic factors on publication output, the distribution of top 10th percentile publishers by specialty, the proportion of individuals with zero publications, and the H-index of published applicants. Attending a top-40 NIH-funded school was associated with increased publication output, with odds ratios (ORs) of 3.31 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.14-4.47, p < 0.001). ORs represent the strength of association between predictor variables and publication metrics, with values above 1.0 indicating positive associations. This association was higher for neurosurgery (OR = 7.76, 95% CI = 5.55-9.76, p < 0.001) and plastic surgery (OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.98-7.77, p < 0.001). Conversely, matching into orthopedic surgery (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04-1.15, p < 0.001) or vascular surgery (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.94-1.22, p < 0.001) predicted admission without having published a peer-reviewed paper. Neurosurgery applicants had a significantly higher H-index compared to other specialties. Neurosurgery and plastic surgery admitted applicants with more peer-reviewed publications and fewer with zero publications compared to orthopedic, vascular, and otolaryngologic programs. High publication rates were also predicted by holding a non-medical postgraduate degree and graduating from a top-40 NIH-funded medical school, raising equity concerns due to differences in research opportunities and additional degrees.

Indexed as

bibliometric analysiscompetitive specialtiesmedical educationnih fundingpublication disparitiesresearch productivityresidency matchusmle step 1

Identifiers

PMID40385844
PMCPMC12085159

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.