Regimented research: a recipe for success?

Cardiology trainees at the University of Toronto participate annually in a mandatory research competition. Its purpose is to promote creative thinking, help develop a greater understanding of the scientific method and encourage them to pursue research as a career. Since its inception, this research competition's outcomes have not been assessed. This study set out to determine which components of a cardiology training program are important in the development of a career in cardiovascular research and addressed whether participation in this mandatory research competition was considered important to the development of a career in cardiovascular research. This study found that both faculty and trainees considered the following factors to be important in the development of a research career: (1) a mentor to provide support and guidance; (2) regular attendance at national and international meetings; (3) a fixed block of time within the training program dedicated solely to research activity; and (4) an academic environment that provides exposure to clinicians with varied research interests and ability. Neither trainees nor faculty believed that mandatory participation in a research competition was of significant benefit in the development of a research career, although faculty's perception of such a benefit was greater than the trainees'.