Research in residency: do research curricula impact post-residency practice?

BACKGROUND: The Residency Review Committee for Family Medicine recommends that research during residency be encouraged as a means of preparing residents for lifetime self-education after residency. No studies, however, have demonstrated the influence of these curricula on postgraduate practice. This study identified differences in attitudes, knowledge, or behavior between residency graduates who were or were not exposed to research training during residency. METHODS: A survey was mailed to 234 graduates of 13 family medicine residency programs in Michigan; eight of the programs included research curricula. The survey included questions on research training, confidence in reading medical articles, sources used for answering clinical questions, and current teaching and research activities. Responses were compared between graduates from programs with and without formal research training. RESULTS: The response rate was 53%. Graduates with research training reported significantly greater appreciation for research and its importance in guiding treatment decisions. There were no differences between groups in knowledge of statistics, comfort with reading research articles, or sources used for answering clinical questions, with the exception of greater use of Medline searches for research-trained residents. There were also no differences between groups in additional training or research experiences. Graduates with no formal research training reported being more involved after residency with student teaching and practice audits. CONCLUSIONS: Formal research training during residency appears to alter attitudes toward research and searches of the medical literature but does not to lead to greater participation in teaching or practice audits.