Demystifying Research: How a Dedicated Committee Leads to Resident Development and Scholarly Output

Often, when the word “research” is used, the assumption is a robust randomized controlled trial or longitudinal observational study. This perception is limiting and deters physicians, specifically residents, from pursuing scholarly endeavors out of fear that their projects do not reach that standard. In actuality, the world of research in academic medicine is a vast landscape of differing study designs, which can all be appropriately championed with dedicated guidance and deliberate effort towards increasing awareness.

Our objective was to inspire residents and faculty to pursue scholarly endeavors through an innovative educational initiative—a dedicated scholarship team. The purpose of this support team included mentoring staff in the process of creating scholarly work, raising awareness of various organizations/journals within Emergency Medicine, and empowering a mindset that any meaningful contribution was worth publicizing. Secondary objectives included measuring how the committee affected resident comfort in research endeavors and departmental output in scholarly works.

In collaboration with departmental leadership, a committee of three faculty members with extensive research experience was established. Initial efforts focused on creating resources such as a “Golden Document” detailing conferences and journals within emergency medicine, and “how-to” handbooks on conducting scholarly work. The committee then held quarterly check-ins, providing targeted mentorship on project development. Over three years, data were collected on works published or presented nationally, as well as qualitative reflections on the process.

Before the committee was formed, from 2021 to 2023, an average of 12 scholarly works were published or presented annually. That number rose to 22 during the committee’s first year, 2023-2024, 34 in 2024-2025, and is currently on pace for 44 this academic year. This represents an increase of more than 300% after just three years of inception. In addition, anecdotal reflections overwhelmingly supported a trend of better comfort and motivation for academic pursuits.

Often, when the word “research” is used, the assumption is a robust randomized controlled trial or longitudinal observational study. This perception is limiting and deters physicians, specifically residents, from pursuing scholarly endeavors out of fear that their projects do not reach that standard. In actuality, the world of research in academic medicine is a vast landscape of differing study designs, which can all be appropriately championed with dedicated guidance and deliberate effort towards increasing awareness. Our objective was to inspire residents and faculty to pursue scholarly endeavors through an innovative educational initiative—a dedicated scholarship team. The purpose of this support team included mentoring staff in the process of creating scholarly work, raising awareness of various organizations/journals within Emergency Medicine, and empowering a mindset that any meaningful contribution was worth publicizing. Secondary objectives included measuring how the committee affected resident comfort in research endeavors and departmental output in scholarly works. In collaboration with departmental and residency leadership, a dedicated committee of three faculty members with extensive research and scholarly experience was established. Initial efforts focused on creating resources such as a “Golden Document” detailing all major conferences and journals within the field of emergency medicine, as well as “how-to” handbooks on the process of conducting and submitting scholarly work. From there, the committee conducted quarterly “check-ins” with each resident, providing targeted mentorship on project design, methodology execution, and manuscript development. At the end of the year, all fourth year residents were required to present a scholarly project for graduation. At that time, data were also collected on all resident-driven works published or presented nationally, as well as qualitative reflections on the committee and comfort with conducting research. Before the committee was formed, from 2021 to 2023, an average of 12 scholarly works were published or presented annually. That number rose to 22 during the committee’s first year, 2023-2024, 34 in 2024-2025, and is currently on pace for 44 this academic year. This represents an increase of more than 300% after just three years of initiating the program. In addition, anecdotal reflections from residents overwhelmingly supported a trend of better comfort and motivation for academic pursuits. Many acknowledged that having a designated committee that provided structured guidance was influential in their abilities to confidently pursue scholarly activites. These results and more have led to the incorporation of a “research block” within our senior curriculum, where third and fourth year residents are given dedicated time twice a year to connect with committee members for deliberate mentorship on academic endeavors. Ultimately, this innovative tool has had a profound impact on resident-driven scholarly output within the department, and serves as proof that investing resources towards a scholarship team can significantly improve provider comfort with research.