RESIDENT RESEARCH | General Surgery Residency

The Department of Surgery at LSU Health Shreveport has a strong commitment to research, according to a legacy originally established and promoted under the leadership of Dr. John C. McDonald in 1977.  The clinical volume and variety of surgical disease processes seen here provides abundant substrate for the development of important clinical and translational studies, with a promise to improve evidence-based care and patient outcomes. 

Accordingly, a structured program has been developed to incorporate a research and scholarly activity into surgical training at LSU Health Shreveport.  Early in the PGY-1 year, online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training is required, and specific guidance is given for identifying and developing a research idea, study design, and submitting an appropriate IRB application.  Basic guidance and support with biostatistics is also provided.  Our successful model involves pairing of a surgical trainee with a faculty research mentor who is able to provide direct guidance and oversight to insure the quality and success of the research experience.

PGY-1 residents will complete a Quality Improvement (QI) or Patient Safety project during the academic year. The project will provide residents with an opportunity to apply principles of quality improvement, patient safety, data collection, analysis, and evidence-based practice to clinical care. Preliminary residents are not required to complete a project but are encouraged to participate in research.

PGY-2 through PGY-4 residents will design and complete an annual original research project involving a clinical, quality, translational, or basic science topic. Each project will be developed with the guidance and oversight of a faculty research mentor and will progress through appropriate research, IRB, and institutional processes. These projects will be presented to the Department as a brief presentation, and constructive advice will be provided for improvement and future directions.

The Department provides timely and relevant information to incoming residents to assist in guiding their choice of a research pathway, identifying a research mentor, and showcasing the hard work and commitment demonstrated throughout each research endeavor. The Department of Surgery Research Committee and Research Management Team advise residents regarding the selection of research topics, faculty mentors, and study design, as well as monitor resident progress throughout the life of each research project to ensure that adequate resources, guidance, and oversight are provided.

In recognition of the importance of resident scholarship, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has issued that “residents should participate in scholarly activity”, and the program training curriculum “must advance residents’ knowledge of basic principles of research, including how research is conducted, evaluated, explained to patients, and applied to patient care”. To this end, the General Surgery Residency Program at LSU Health-Shreveport has allocated resources and created the General Surgery Residency Research Program to facilitate residents’ involvement in scholarly activities.

The goal of the General Surgery Residency Research Program is to provide residents with opportunities to participate in scholarly activity and provide resources needed to conduct research. Residents will be introduced to available resources and support, and will learn basic research methodology throughout residency. Additionally, there will be topics relevant to research or evidence based practice that will be covered during Tuesday morning conferences.

Excellence in clinical care and patient service can only be achieved when a surgeon develops critical thinking, and learns to develop evidenced-based practices.  Importantly, research supports continued evolvement of our clinical practice, allowing for the highest level care and best outcomes.

What are the resident expectations?

Residents will participate in scholarly projects with oversight provided by a faculty mentor. Residents will play a meaningful role in the project with continuous guidance and assistance provided by the faculty mentor throughout all phases of the research process. To ensure successful completion of their scholarly activities, residents are expected to adhere to the established timeline and report their progress.

Mandatory meetings with the Research Program Management Team will occur throughout the life of each research project and will assess research progress, level of support provided/needed, as well as resource assessment to identify needed resources for project completion. Meeting dates will be provided to you in advance and confirmed via email.

To promote the completion of impactful, long-term research, a points system has been established to evaluate progress. Residents must accumulate a total of 6 points to fulfill the research requirement.

Points System Overview:

1 point – Case report/series, local presentation
2 points – Regional poster presentation OR podium presentation
3 points – National poster presentation OR podium presentation
4 points – Submission of manuscript
5 points – Accepted manuscript with PUBMED ID