Summary
The proportion of general surgeons with graduate degrees in Canada is increasing. We sought to evaluate the types of graduate degree held by surgeons in Canada, and whether differences in publication capacity exist. We evaluated all general surgeons working at English-speaking Canadian academic hospitals to determine the types of degrees achieved, changes over time and research output associated with each degree. We identified 357 surgeons, of whom 163 (45.7 %) had master’s degrees and 49 (13.7 %) had PhDs. Achievement of graduate degrees increased over time, with more surgeons earning master’s degrees in public health (MPH), clinical epidemiology and education (MEd), and fewer master’s degrees in science (MSc) or PhDs. Most publication metrics were similar by degree type, but surgeons with PhDs published more basic science research than those with clinical epidemiology, MEd or MPH degrees (2.0 v. 0.0, p < 0.05); surgeons with clinical epidemiology degrees published more first-author articles than surgeons with MSc degrees (2.0 v. 0.0, p = 0.007). An increasing number of general surgeons hold graduate degrees, with fewer pursuing MSc and PhD degrees, and more holding MPH or clinical epidemiology degrees. Research productivity is similar for all groups. Support to pursue diverse graduate degrees could enable a greater breadth of research.
The employment and research landscape for general surgeons in Canada continues to evolve, with increasing focus placed on graduate training and research productivity, but it is unclear what degrees general surgeons achieve and whether this has changed over time.1,2 It also remains unclear whether any specific degree type is associated with increased research productivity. Characterizing trends and current graduate degree types held by Canadian surgeons may help programs ensure the success of their residents by offering degrees that are relevant, of interest and beneficial to surgical practice.
We evaluated this question by investigating general surgeons from all English-speaking Canadian academic institutions, with data collected as previously described by Purich and colleagues.2 We obtained type of graduate degree and timing of degree achievement using Theses Canada, current publications and university websites, and by directly contacting surgeon’s offices. We categorized each surgeon’s degree by 2-author consensus as a master’s degree in science (MSc), public health (MPH), clinical epidemiology (MClinEpi) focus, education (MEd); a PhD (focusing on basic science research); other graduate degree; or no graduate degree. We evaluated graduate degree achievement and type over time according to the surgeon’s graduation year for their doctor of medicine (MD) degree. We collected publications between 2013 and 2018, and research impact for all surgeons, as reported by Purich and colleagues.2 We compared research productivity, publication characteristics (basic science v. clinical study, as categorized by 2-author consensus) and study type (review v. primary study v. book chapter) by type of graduate degree.2 We determined statistical significance using the Kruskal–Wallis test with the Dunn multiple comparison test. We also evaluated the types of graduate degrees and research output for surgeons hired since 2013 to characterize differences between recent and older hires. Given significant outliers, we completed a post hoc analysis of the research output from the top 10% (i.e., hyperperformers) of included surgeons based on number of publications.
We included 357 surgeons from 31 institutions (listed in Appendix 1, available at canjsurg.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cjs.020721/tab-related-content). Of these surgeons, 145 (40.6%) did not have graduate degrees and 212 (59.4%) did. The proportion of surgeons with graduate degrees increased substantially over time, with changes in the types of degrees achieved (Figure 1). Over time, more surgeons have pursued MPH and MClinEpi degrees, and fewer have pursued MSc and PhD degrees. With regard to degree timing, the number of surgeons who pursued graduate training both during and after residency has increased (Figure 2).
When comparing research of the 212 surgeons with a graduate degree, those with PhDs had higher metrics than those with other graduate degrees (Table 1). Otherwise, we observed only small differences in research metrics by degree type (Table 1). Surgeons with an MSc published more basic science manuscripts in the 6-year study period than surgeons with MClinEpi degrees (Figure 3). On the other hand, those with MClinEpi degrees published more manuscripts as first authors than surgeons with MSc degrees (Figure 3). No other statistically significant differences were found when comparing surgeons with different master’s degrees. Of surgeons hired since 2013 (n = 80), only 27.5% did not have graduate degrees with substantial variability in degree subtypes (Appendix 1, Table 1S). However, analysis of the research output for surgeons hired since 2013 showed overall lower research metrics, including fewer publications per year during the study period, than surgeons hired before 2013 (Appendix 1, Table 2S). Among the 36 hyperperformers in the top 10% in terms of research output, graduate degree types varied, yet their research output made up a substantial proportion of the total research in Canada (Table 2).
For surgeons and residents directed toward a practice in academic general surgery, a graduate degree is becoming a common requirement. Among surgeons with graduate degrees, the proportion with MPH and MClinEpi degrees has increased substantially over time, with a decrease in the proportion with PhD and MSc degrees. We observed only minimal differences in research productivity based on degree type. This increasing breadth with sustained productivity can be seen as a sign of success for current training programs and hiring committees. Equally valuing this broad armamentarium of skills is likely to encourage interest and lifelong research pursuit to continue moving the field forward. Newly hired surgeons appear to have less research productivity, suggesting that more than 10 years is needed to develop research infrastructure, collaborations and teams, which should be considered by institutional review committees and for resource allocation.
As a final point, it is astonishing that 36 hyperperformers are responsible for about half of the publications and citations among all 357 general surgeons in Canada. Clearly, factors other than graduate degree subtype lead surgeons such as these to be this academically productive. Analysis of personal characteristics that motivate these individuals, similar to what has been evaluated in highly successful orthopedic surgeons, would be of interest for academic recruitment and to foster future success of similar people.3 In addition, the effect of employment contracts, research mandates, time commitment to research and financial support likely play a role in both graduate degree achievement and research productivity.
The proportion of academic surgeons with graduate degrees continues to increase in Canada, and the types of degrees pursued has changed over time, with more surgeons pursuing MPH and MClinEpi degrees. Overall, the research productivity remains similar for academic general surgeons, regardless of their graduate degree type, although it appears to take several years to become established. Finally, outliers in this study outline the need for future research evaluating hyperperformers in general surgery.
Footnotes
Competing interests: A.M. James Shapiro serves as a consultant to ViaCyte, Diagon, Protokinetix and Pelican Therapeutics. No other competing interests were declared.
Contributors: All of the authors contributed to the conception and design of the work, drafted the manuscript, revised it critically for important intellectual content, gave final approval of the version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
- Accepted October 12, 2022.
This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original publication is properly cited, the use is noncommercial (i.e., research or educational use), and no modifications or adaptations are made. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/