Abstract. Objectives: 1) To evaluate residents' perceptions of the quality of training in basic academic skills and the availability and quality of research resources during residency; 2) to evaluate the association between these attitudes and choice of an academic career; and 3) to assess residents' attitudes toward the importance of postgraduate fellowship training for success in an academic career. Methods: A 15-item survey was administered to all U.S. emergency medicine (EM) residents in conjunction with the February 1997 American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) In-service Examination. The survey assessed resident interest in a career in academic EM, and resident perception of the general quality of training in academic (research and teaching) skills. Residents were also asked to rate the quality of their training in the following specific academic skills: medical and grant writing, bedside teaching, lecturing, the use of computers, study design, statistics, and the use of audiovisual aids. Resident perceptions of the availability of the following resources were also assessed: teaching and research role models, data collection and analysis support, laboratory facilities, financial support of research, research fundamentals lectures, and computers. Results: The response rate was 93%. Forty-four percent of the respondents were interested in academic EM, 36.6% were undecided, and 19.6% were not interested in an academic career. On a scale of 1 (unprepared) to 5 (well prepared), the residents rated their overall preparedness for an academic career fairly high (3.97 [0.86]). In contrast, they perceived the quality of their training in the specific academic skill areas assessed and research resource availability to be only fair. Despite resident perception of relatively inadequate training in basic academic skills, only 24% of the respondents indicated that they believed fellowship training was important for success in an academic career. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that participation in a research project in medical school, the length of the training program (4-vs 3-year), being a first-year resident, and a better perception of one's overall academic skill preparation were factors independently associated with having a greater interest in an academic career. Conclusions: A relatively high percentage of residents initially express an interest in an academic career, but this interest wanes as residency progresses. A minority of residents believe that their training provides them with the specific skills needed to succeed in academics, or with adequate exposure to research resources or mentors. Emergency medicine may be able to increase the number of qualified academic faculty by recruiting medical students with prior research experience, and providing residents with better research training and role models.

Abstract. Objective: To evaluate the impact of environmental factors on emergency medicine (EM) resident career choice. Methods: Program directors of all U.S. EM residencies were surveyed in November 1997. A 22-item questionnaire assessed resources allocated to research, fellowship availability, academic productivity of faculty and residents, and career choices of residency graduates. Results: The response rate was 83%. The program director (mean Ϯ SD) estimates of resident career choice were as follows: 27.8 Ϯ 19.1% pursued academic positions with emphasis on teaching, 5.4 Ϯ 9.8% pursued academic positions with emphasis on research, and 66.8 Ϯ 23.1%, pursued private practice positions. In addition, 5.70 Ϯ 6.13% of the residency graduates were estimated to seek fellowship training. Univariate analyses demonstrated that increasing departmental funding for research, having substantial resource availability (defined as having at least two of the following: dedicated laboratory space; support for a laboratory research technician/assistant, a clinical research nurse or study coordinator, a statistician, or an assistant with a PhD degree), a greater number of peer-reviewed publications by residents (r = 0.22; p = 0.08), and a greater number of peer-reviewed publications by faculty (r = 0.26; p = 0.04) positively correlated with the percentage of graduates who pursue academic research careers. Using multiple regression, however, increasing intramural funding and the presence of substantial resource availability were the only variables predictive of resident pursuit of an academic research career. Conclusion: Modification of the EM training environment may influence the career choices of graduates. Specifically, greater commitment of departmental funds and support of resources for research may enhance the likelihood of a trainee's choosing an academic research career. Key words: academic emergency medicine; career choice; environmental factors; residents. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 1999; 6:262 -270 T HE DRAMATIC growth of the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) during the past 25 years is a result of the widely recognized need for improved care of ED patients. Thus, the specialty has developed with a strong clinical orientation and a proportionately smaller focus on academics and research. This has generally been the case even at those institutions that have supported EM residency programs. A 1994 study by Gallagher et al.1 demonstrated that only 30% of EM residency programs were closely affiliated with an academic If EM is to fully develop its academic potential, it will be necessary to shift from a predominantly clinical focus to a balance between clinical and academic missions. There is evidence that this process has already begun. In the past six years, 32 new academic departments and 36 new residency programs have been established in EM. Thirtyeight percent of the newly established departments and 30% of the newly established residency programs are at research-intensive academic medical centers as defined by t...

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