Anesthesiology research pipeline needs boost

Editor's Note

Anesthesiology needs to bolster initiatives to improve the size and diversity of research scientists in its pipeline, according to a new study by the Anesthesia Research Council (ARC), titled "The Anesthesiology Physician-Scientist Pipeline: Current Status and Recommendations for Future Growth" and published in the October 2023 Anesthesia & Analgesia issue.

Data analyzed in the study came from the National Resident Matching Program and Association of American Medical Colleges from 2009 to 2019. Highlights of the study include:

• Anesthesiology researchers are behind such advances as the Apgar score and CPR.
• Anesthesiology ranks eighth out of 11 specialties both for the percentage of entering residents with a “research-oriented” background and the percentage of anesthesiology residents who are women.
• Proposals to improve the pipeline include increasing the visibility of anesthesiology research to medical students, expanding research fellowship opportunities, and incorporating child-care-friendly policies at national meetings.

A major issue is exposure, said the authors. According to the findings, only 46% of medical schools required students exposure to clinical anesthesiology, and that exposure when it happened lasted just 2 weeks as opposed to 8 weeks for other major specialties like surgery and pediatrics.