Resident Scholarly Activity Plan and Scorecard Implementation in Graduate Medical Education.

Abstract

Background: Scholarly activity (SA) is a requirement of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); however, many programs struggle with interpreting ACGME trainee requirements and lack standardized tools to effectively communicate, document, and track individualized, resident-centered approaches to SA. This educational project aimed to develop a universal educational graduate medical education (GME) SA plan and scorecard tool to establish shared program expectations, provide formative and summative feedback on SA progression, track SA, and support individualized SA pathways aligned with residents' professional goals.

Methods: In May 2022, faculty, associate program directors, and program directors within the North Texas Division of HCA Healthcare created the division-specific Resident GME Scholarly Activity Plan and Scorecard. The tool was introduced during didactic rollout sessions within the first 3 months of the 2022-2023 academic year. These residents completed a pre-didactic and post-didactic survey about the plan and scorecard using a 9-item, 4-point Likert and 5-point rating scale. Once approved, the tool was introduced at each new intern class during orientation and reinforced throughout their tenure. Scholarly activity productivity and utilization were measured over a 41-month period (October 2022-March 2026) across 12 programs.

Results: In 2022, participating residents (n = 142 pre and n = 152 post out of N = 298 total, a 51% response rate completed a pre-implementation didactic and post-implementation didactic survey. The mean overall score across the 9-item survey increased from 2.79 prior to the didactic session to 3.30 following the session, representing an absolute increase of 0.61 points (18.3%).Between October 2022-March 2026, a total of 548 residents used the plan and scorecard. Of these, 459 (83.8%) residents pursued the generalist track and 88 (16.1%) selected a fellowship-focused scholarly track. Forty-four fellowship-track residents (8%) remain in training and are actively using the scorecard. Forty-three fellowship-track residents (7.85%) successfully matched into their preferred fellowship programs. Eleven fellowship-track residents (2.01%) did not complete the recommended components outlined in the tool and did not match. Regardless of track, all residents met ACGME, HCA Healthcare, and program SA requirements. Scholarly productivity increased annually following implementation, from 45 projects in 2022, to 180 projects in 2023, 381 projects in 2024, and 461 projects in 2025.

Conclusions: Implementation of a standardized tool provided SA structure and clarity for residents across a variety of ACGME programs and career pathways. Using an individualized, resident-centered approach to SA may promote scholarly productivity, increased tracking to meet graduation requirements, as well as fostering career development.