Crafting Your Residency Professional Development (Research) Years

Authors: Paulina M. Gutkin, MD¹, Nensi M. Ruzgar, MD, MHS²

¹Stanford University, Stanford, CA

²Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Many academic general surgical residency programs offer 1-2 years of protected, non-clinical time as an opportunity to pursue research interests, advanced degrees, or select fellowships. This typically takes place after 2-3 years of clinical training. Deciding how to best approach this time requires thoughtful consideration of several key questions.

What is my end goal?

There are numerous career paths in surgery, and each may warrant a different approach to protected time. It is okay to not have a fully defined career path yet. Rather than focusing on details, it may be helpful to frame these years as an opportunity to establish a strong foundation and develop a specific skillset or area of expertise. If considering fellowship, early reflection on subspecialty interests is valuable. Data from NRMP 2025 Match¹ highlight varying competitiveness among surgical subspecialties, emphasizing the importance of aligning one’s efforts with future application goals.

Exploring clinical interests early and seeking guidance from faculty/senior residents can provide critical insight. Long-term goals such as preferred geographic location or practice model—academic, private, or community-based—should also be considered. 

Identify potential mentors

Mentorship plays a central role in career development.² It is beneficial to cultivate relationships with multiple mentors who provide guidance in distinct areas such as research, career planning, technical training, and personal growth. Networks like the AWS Resident and Fellow Society could also introduce perspectives and opportunities far beyond your local community. Research conferences or grand rounds lectures are also fruitful avenues to connect with new colleagues. Inquire from senior residents on their experiences with specific faculty: Did they successfully publish, do they receive funding support to attend conferences, does the faculty member help them network or have capacity to meaningfully commit to an additional trainee?

Is research right for me?

The traditional model of full-time basic science research has evolved. Consider if your goals align with developing your skills in basic science, clinical or translational research, health services, education development, global health, or beyond. Some programs afford flexibility to pursue opportunities at other institutions; communicate early with your program leadership about your plans. 

Grants

You can’t live for free. While some programs provide internal funding, others require residents to secure external support. Potential avenues for grant applications include through the NIH, T32 awards, and society grants. Grant application deadlines are often 6 months to a year in advance; be cognizant of timelines. Furthermore, some programs require pre-approval before submitting external grants.

A Note on Productivity

Ultimately, the goal is to craft a cohesive narrative that supports future fellowship or faculty applications. For those pursuing academic careers, publication quantity, quality, and authorship position may carry significant weight. Consider balancing long-term projects (which often include basic-science, clinical trials) and shorter term projects (retrospective reviews, case reports) that align with your interests. Joining a collaborative research group can also provide opportunities to contribute to lab members’ current projects. Given the relatively short research timelines available to surgical trainees, realistic expectations are important, as the publication review process can be lengthy. It is important to wrap up your manuscripts before re-entering clinical years. 

Utility of an additional degree or fellowship

Pursuing an advanced degree may be a good option. Think critically on whether additional formal education would meaningfully develop your career. Discuss with your institution or lab if they have means to fund a degree.

Additionally, surgical trainees are eligible to pursue certain fellowships after PGY3 year. Examples include critical care, burn, palliative care, and select medical specialty fellowships.

Personal livelihood

Don’t lose sight of the fact that these years provide opportunities to re-engage with the “regular world”. Embellish your personal life, if desired. Maybe you finally have time to strengthen your relationships or travel more. You are dedicating your life to this rigorous but gratifying career; take advantage of this time in training, the opportunities are endless.

References

1. Results and Data: Specialties Matching Service, 2025 Appointment Year. NRMP. February 13, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://www.nrmp.org/match-data/2025/02/results-and-data-specialties-matching-service-2025-appointment-year/

2. Chopra V, Arora VM, Saint S. Will You Be My Mentor?—Four Archetypes to Help Mentees Succeed in Academic Medicine. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(2):175. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.6537

Paulina Gutkin is a general surgery PGY-2 at Stanford University. She went to medical school at Medical College of WIsconsin, and obtained her Bachelor of Science at Bucknell University. She is currently preparing to enter her Professional Development years and plans to work with Dr. Brendan Visser and Dr. Kyle Loh exploring biomarkers associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy. She has been actively involved in AWS and currently serves as a Liaison on the AWS Resident and Fellows Committee. As a medical student, she served on the AWS National Medical Student Committee as Chief of Chapter Development and as Regional Representative for the Midwest Great Plains Region.

Nensi Ruzgar is a general surgery resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is currently completing the second year of her professional development period as a post-doctoral fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, working on using liquid biopsy to profile pediatric liver and kidney tumors. She is the Vice Chair for the AWS Resident and Fellows Committee, and serves as a Candidate representative on the AAS Basic and Translational Science Committee.