ACADEMIC RESEARCH RETREAT: A NOVEL APPROACH TO MAXIMISE THE RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION EFFORTS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS AND JUNIOR DOCTORS finnbattleday@gmail.com

PW07-17

ACADEMIC RESEARCH RETREAT: A NOVEL APPROACH TO MAXIMISE THE RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION EFFORTS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS AND JUNIOR DOCTORS

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New Zealand

Oral or Poster

This study describes the Trident Research Cooperative (TRC) initiative to develop an academic research retreat for junior investigators to participate and learn in a supported environment whilst advancing their research projects toward publication.

TRC staged a dedicated research retreat i with the theme ‘perioperative medicine’. Attendees completed 6 systematic review and meta-analysis projects over a 4-day immersive experience at an architecturally-designed mansion overlooking the Great Ocean Road. All attendees were sponsored by a full-scholarship. Organizers distributed an online survey 4 months post-retreat consisting of 5 positive statements evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale.

At the time of writing all projects are either accepted for publication (4) or undergoing peer review (2) in international peer-reviewed journals. The post-retreat feedback survey had an 80% completion rate. Participants rated their experience approvingly, with ‘strong agree’ ratings averaging 80% across all five questions. 100% of respondents reported an ‘improved ability to interpret and understand the medical literature following the intensive”.

The inaugural TRC research retreat yielded peer-reviewed research publications. Participants reported that the retreat helped them meet their research goals by offering a supportive and collaborative environment conducive to productivity. The format of the retreat proved to be cost-effective and could be easily adapted for fellow professionals wishing to organize a similar event at their institutions. The TRC events has proven to be scalable with a subsequent grant-funded retreat, consisting of 10 projects subsequently planned.