Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42466134›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical education and curricular development

Implementing SMART Goals in a Radiology Research Mentorship Program: A Single-Institution Pilot Study.

Syed Ibrahim, Thanh-Lan Bui, Sungmee Park, Shayan Saeed, Murad Aldoghmi, Parvaneh Hassani, Dillon Sommer, Justin Glavis-Bloom, Cameron Fateri, Daniel Kwan and 4 more

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Article in Journal of medical education and curricular development. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

14 authors.

Syed IbrahimIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2859-8701
Thanh-Lan BuiIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Sungmee ParkIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Shayan SaeedIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Murad AldoghmiIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Parvaneh HassaniIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Dillon SommerIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Justin Glavis-BloomIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Cameron FateriIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Daniel KwanIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
David FloriolliIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Edward KuoyIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Mohammad HelmyIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.
Roozbeh HoushyarIrvine Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Orange, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Early engagement in research is essential for radiology trainees, yet many enter the field with limited experience and confidence. Structured goal setting-particularly through the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) framework-may enhance research productivity and skill development. This study evaluated the impact of implementing SMART Goals within a radiology research mentorship program. Methods: Medical students and radiology residents participating in departmental research from August 2020-July 2021 completed SMART Goal worksheets and met individually with mentors to refine objectives, identify barriers, and create action plans. Scholarly output was compared descriptively with prior academic years (2016-2020). Participants completed pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing confidence across multiple research domains using a five-point Likert scale. Quantitative analyses included mean paired differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Open-ended responses were thematically analyzed. Results: Nineteen of 22 invited trainees (86%) completed the SMART Goals process. Following implementation, participants demonstrated increased scholarly engagement compared with prior academic years, including participant-level credits for 45 accepted abstracts/conference presentations, 30 manuscripts/publications, and 7 successful grants. Confidence significantly improved across all evaluated domains, including scientific goal setting (mean increase 1.54), project initiation (1.05), manuscript preparation (1.21), and study design (0.62; all p ≤ 0.01). Qualitative feedback indicated that structured goal setting enhanced organization, accountability, mentor communication, and overall engagement. Discussion: Incorporating SMART Goals into research mentorship was associated with increased scholarly engagement and measurable gains in self-reported research confidence. Trainees reported that transforming broad intentions into actionable steps improved motivation, follow-through, and clarity in research planning. These findings align with adult learning principles and competency-based medical education models emphasizing autonomy, feedback, and self-directed growth. Conclusion: Formalized SMART Goal setting may be a feasible strategy to support research skill development, mentorship alignment, and scholarly engagement among radiology trainees. Broader, multicenter evaluations are warranted to assess long-term educational and career outcomes.

Indexed as

goal settingmedical educationmentorshipradiology educationresearch trainingresident educationSMART goals

Identifiers

PMID42466134
PMCPMC13373385

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.