Assistant Professor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital Hutto, Texas, United States
Background: Pediatric chief residents (CR) take on significant leadership in the areas of education, clinical work, and administrative work. Although the skills cultivated during chief year are translatable to a career in academic medicine, it is unclear if CRs choose academic career paths. Objective: This study seeks to determine if there is an association between being a pediatric CR and their immediate post residency plans. Design/Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using de-identified data from the GME track, a national resident database and tracking system, from 2005 to 2020 for all categorical pediatric residents in their final year of training. The exposure was chief resident (y/n) and the primary study outcome was immediate plans after graduation (fellowship, academic position, or other compared to private practice [referent]). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals of immediate plans adjusted by potential confounders. Through stratified analysis, we also estimated how plans varied by self-identified race-ethnicity. Results: Among the study population (N=43,728), chief residents accounted for 2,991 (6.84%). CRs had an increased odds of pursuing academic positions (1.28, 95% CI 1.14-1.43), and a decreased odds of other career paths (0.73, 95% CI 0.63-0.84). There was no association with CRs and pursuing fellowship (0.97, 95% CI 0.89-1.05). CRs who were Asian (1.61, 95% CI 1.24-2.10) and White (1.19, 95% CI 1.03-1.36), but not Black (1.41, 95% CI 0.82-2.42), Hispanic (1.13, 95% CI 0.67-1.91), or Multi-racial (1.22 95% CI 0.79-1.87) had an increased odds of pursing academic positions compared to non-chiefs in the same race-ethnic groups.
Conclusion(s): Overall, being a pediatric CR was associated with an increased odds of pursuing an academic career, but this relationship varied by race-ethnic groups. Table 1.jpeg
