Research productivity of ophthalmology residents and its relationship to academic career outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of ophthalmology resident research and its relationship to subsequent practice. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and twenty residents of Canadian ophthalmology programs graduating between 2009 and 2020. METHODS: Bibliometric data were obtained for each resident from Scopus. Indices of scholarly productivity included number of publications, h-index, m-quotient, and total citations. Demographic and career data were obtained from faculty listings and professional and regulatory web sites. Career outcomes included location and subspecialty of fellowship training and type of ultimate practice (academic vs community). RESULTS: In total, 208 of 320 graduates (65%) published at least 1 peer-reviewed article during residency. Bibliometric indices, including numbers of papers, h-index, and total citations, were significantly higher for male residents and residents who pursued academic and subspecialized practices. No significant trends were seen regarding scholarly productivity and fellowship match outcomes (e.g., location and subspecialty of fellowship). The bulk of resident research projects was of lower tiers of evidence, including retrospective studies (n = 111) and case reports (n = 108). Five-year scholarly impact of resident research decreased over time (h-index, m = -0.14; p < 0.01) despite stable publication volumes. CONCLUSIONS: Greater scholarly activity in residency corresponds to more academic and subspecialized practices but is not associated with type of fellowship. The impact of resident research declined between 2009 and 2020. Sex-based disparities exist.