Publication productivity (H-Index) among pediatric dermatologists in the United States.

Background/objective: The h-index is a measure of research achievement. Individuals with similar h-indices should be equivalent in terms of scientific impact. However, this value is inherently biased toward fields with higher visibility and readership. To utilize the power of h-indices in predicting future research success and as a benchmark for academic advancement, niche fields like pediatric dermatology must be examined independently.

Methods: Publicly available data were examined. A list of current pediatric dermatologists were obtained from the Society for Pediatric Dermatology's member directory. The following demographic information was obtained: fellowship certification year, PhD status, prior pediatric residency training, state/region, practice setting, academic appointment, number of publications, and h-index. Descriptive and analytic statistics were calculated.

Results: A total of 317 pediatric dermatologists were included. Practice setting distribution was as follows: 54.3% academic, 32.5% non-academic, and 13.3% combined. H-index differed significantly based on pediatric dermatology certification year (P < .001), increasing as time from certification increased. Those in academics had higher h-indices than those in both non-academic and combined practice settings (P < .001 and .007, respectively). Professors (25.0) had higher h-indices than associate professors (11.0), who had higher h-indices than assistant professors (4.4) (P < .001).

Conclusions: H-index increased with increasing academic rank and was highest among those working in academics. For pediatric dermatologists considering application for promotion, the h-index for each level can serve as a useful benchmark to guide decision-making.