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Incentive To Publish In Plastic Surgery: Does It Continue After The Match?
Diego A. Gomez, BS1, Caitlin M. Blades, BS
2, Evan Haas, BS
2, Zain Aryanpour, MD
2, David W. Mathes, MD
2, Phuong D. Nguyen, MD
1, Katie G. Egan, MD
2.
1Department of Pediatric Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA,
2Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Aurora, CO, USA.
PURPOSE: Plastic surgery is one of the most competitive medical specialties, with a 58.8% match rate in the 2023-2024 cycle. Given limited positions, residency programs evaluate candidates based on standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and research contributions. Previous studies show that publication count is an independent predictor of matching success, motivating applicants to focus on research during medical school. However, it is unclear if academic productivity continues post-match, a key concern for programs seeking to foster long-term academic engagement.
METHODS: We identified all integrated plastic surgery residents in U.S. programs for 2024-2025, covering those who matched between 2018-2024. A PubMed search retrieved indexed publications for each resident, categorized by pre- and post-match periods. Abstracts and non-indexed publications were excluded. Programs were stratified based on 2023 NIH funding and Doximity reputation rankings.
RESULTS: We analyzed 834 residents. The average publications per resident increased from 2 in 2018 to 9.68 in 2024, while first-author publications rose from 1.3 to 3.36. Post-match productivity grew from 1.1 publications in PGY-1 to 7.9 by PGY-6. Multivariate analysis showed that training at a top 25 NIH-funded program, advancing PGY, and pre-match first-author publications were significantly associated with higher research output (p < 0.05). Total pre-match publications, attending top NIH-funded medical schools, or top Doximity programs did not predict research productivity.
CONCLUSION: Pre-match first-author publications and training at NIH-funded programs predict sustained academic productivity in residency. These findings can guide programs in identifying candidates likely to maintain academic engagement.
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