Evaluating Indicators of Continued Research Involvement and Activity in Hand Fellowship Faculty.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate indicators of continued research involvement and activity among hand fellowship faculty. Specifically, we assess the impact of research publication counts during different stages of medical training and geographic factors on the academic productivity of hand surgeons.

METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from all fellowships listed on the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Fellowship Directory from June 2024 to July 2024. Faculty names were collected, and an algorithm was used to automate searches for research publication output across preresidency, residency, fellowship, and postfellowship periods. PubMed and Scopus databases were used to compile publication counts and H-indices. Data were categorized by geographic regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and negative binomial regression to determine the relationship between publication counts during training and total career publications.

RESULTS: The analysis included 94 hand fellowship programs and 645 physicians. Major regional differences were observed in publication counts during fellowship, postfellowship, and overall medical careers, with the Midwest showing the highest averages. A negative binomial regression revealed that publication counts during residency and fellowship, as well as the length of the medical career, independently predicted total career publications. Finally, Southern programs had the highest area deprivation index values, whereas Western programs had the highest Hirsch index to area deprivation index ratios, indicating increased productivity regardless of the area's socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS: Research publication counts during hand surgeon training, particularly during fellowship, serve as key indicators of continued research leadership. Geographic variations suggest regional differences in research productivity and resource availability. These findings underscore the importance of early and sustained research involvement for academic success in hand surgery.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic III.