We define a successful Resident Scholar Project as being one in which you:
- ask a question or explore an issue relevant to family medicine,
- seek information about the question or issue,
- critically analyze (or artistically express) the information, and
- present your findings and share them with others in a way that helps them learn.
After completing your project you should be able to demonstrate that you
- protected privacy and were ethical in obtaining information,
- used some of your own original ideas, and
- where you collaborated with others or referenced other’s work, you acknowledged their contributions with authorship statements and appropriate citations.
Your Resident Scholar Project should reflect at least 40 hours work (or approximately 10 half-days) per Resident involved. This is protected time that you can arrange to book off with your site coordinator. Note that this time must be used before the final manuscript is submitted.
The use of Generative AI such as Chat-GPT
We have developed guidelines to help guide residents in their use of Generative AI in the scholarship project process. These guidelines must be followed as a declaration around the use of Generative AI will be asked during the evaluation process:
The guidelines can be found here: Guidelines for the use of Generative AI
8 Point Checklist
The following are the 8 points on which all projects will be assessed:
Thoughtful design with critical analysis (or artistic expression) of results contextualized to the practice or experience of medicine. The concept of Scholarship can be loosely summarized using Boyer’s Framework or Glassick Framework (Eastern Virginia Medical School). Site Faculty will be using the 8-Point Checklist form to evaluate your project at the abstract stage and final manuscript. Download the 8 Point Checklist form.
Your project must be original. If it expands on a previous resident scholar project or a previously published work, it must include a significant contribution by you that is original and unpublished. If your project quotes or uses other people’s work, it must appropriately reference and attribute this work otherwise it will be regarded as plagiarism. Any plagiarism will result in disqualification. (See UBC's plagiarism policy)
Your project must be relevant to the study of general practice, family medicine or primary health care. Abstracts should include one sentence to indicate this relevance.
Every project requires a critical review of relevant literature on the subject. You must demonstrate ability to critically appraise this literature in order to generate your research question or topic to be studied. A literature review will not be considered adequate if it does not include the latest (as of resident’s graduation year) relevant published studies from PubMed or does not include at least one systematic review or meta-analysis (if published). Your abstract should not include references; however, your research proposal and paper must. Abstracts should include language that indicates that a broad literature review was conducted.
Every project involving humans must demonstrate ethical treatment of those participants including informed consent and protection of privacy. If your project involves any interaction with humans (this includes all surveys), it must have a certificate of approval from the UBC Research Ethics Board before the interaction commences. Resident Scholar Projects that do not obtain ethics approval as above will be disqualified. Also, appropriate permissions and consents must be obtained before you use patient data, even if it is anonymous. Abstracts should include one sentence to indicate that REB approval has been sought/provided (if required for the project). (See Ethics)
All Scholar Projects Reports should attach an Authorship statement that lists the contributions of all residents and faculty involved in the project. For team projects, where more than one resident is involved, the statement must elaborate on how the work was distributed. It should be clear to the reader that each involved resident made a contribution that is proportionate to the work expected for an individual Resident Scholar Project. If there is more than one co-author (resident and/or faculty), all co-authors should complete an authorship contribution statement.
During the course of their Resident Project, residents are encouraged to build competence in the development of collaborative interdisciplinary relationships and processes with research resource staff, faculty, peers, participants, mentors, and others. Residents should describe their collaboration in the methods section of the report (and abstract) if applicable. Residents should describe the specific contribution of persons who supported the research project in the acknowledgments section. Draft acknowledgments section should be provided the at bottom of the abstract. This will not be counted into word count.
You must prepare a written abstract and written report (by the deadline) in the manner of the Canadian Family Physician journal (or other relevant journal), including the appropriate word count. Please see here for details.
You must also present your project to your peers and faculty on the UBC Resident Scholar Day(s) in the manner of a short 10 minute oral (+/- multimedia) presentation followed by 5 minutes for questions. For projects with two or more resident co-authors, 15 minutes oral (+/- multimedia) presentation followed by 5 minutes for questions.
Please note: All written manuscripts will be uploaded onto the Family Practice Journal. This is a secure searchable database of all resident projects from 2007 to present. Through this database, final papers will be available to key stakeholders, faculty, and future residents so that your work can be used appropriately. If you are opposed to this, please provide a written rationale to your site faculty, who will then discuss your request to opt-out of sharing your work on the Journal with the lead scholar faculty.
The following forms will be used to evaluate the projects at various stages:
Site Faculty will be using the 8-Point Checklist form to evaluate your project at the abstract stage and final manuscript. Download the 8 Point Checklist form.
Moderators will be using the Presentation Evaluation form at Scholarship Day to evaluate your presentation (or poster)
End of Project Ethics Requirement
To meet the Research Ethics Board (REB) requirements for the 5-year data storage, UBC REB strongly recommends storing research data/information (convert paper documents to electronic) for the required 5-year period in MS Teams Onedrive at the following link Research Data. A department administrator will delete the files after the 5-year requirement has passed. If you are uploading a file with participant identifiable information, please password protect it and ensure the research assistant has the password.
Consequences of an Unsatisfactory Resident Scholar Project
If a satisfactory abstract or protocol is not submitted by the deadline:
Site Director advises resident of consequences for non completion and/or unsatisfactory* Scholar Project abstract and/or unsatisfactory involvement in scholar academic sessions. Resident is given an opportunity to rework and upgrade their Scholar Project. Consequences: Program Director will withhold certificate of completion of CCFP training.
If a satisfactory final report is not submitted by the deadline:
Site Director advises residents of consequences for non submission and/or unsatisfactory* Scholar Project written reports (as evaluated by members of the Scholar Committee). Resident is given an opportunity to rework and upgrade their Scholar Project. Consequences: Site Director will write licensure letter to BC College of Physicians and Surgeons stating that resident has not completed the requirements of the residency program because project is not submitted.
If the project is not satisfactorily presented at Resident Scholar Day (or approved substitute venue):
Program Director will advise resident of consequences for non-completion or unsatisfactory* presentation Scholar Project at Resident Scholar Day. For residents facing extraordinary circumstances, Program Director will discuss with resident an alternative venue for presentation. Consequences: Letter placed in resident file documenting poor professionalism, which will be communicated in future references and requests for licensure.
After leaving the residency program:
All residents given the opportunity to upgrade and rework their Scholar Project, and to present their Scholar Project at a future Department of Family Practice Scholarship Day (at their own expense).
When the resident satisfactorily completes scholarly residency requirements, the resident will then receive his/her certificate of graduation, and Site Director will write a letter to BC College of Physicians and Surgeons and College of Family Physicians of Canada stating that residency requirements are met and/or Site Director will revise statements on resident file regarding non-professionalism.
Extraordinary Circumstances: Residents who are unable to complete scholar residency requirements due to extraordinary circumstances will have the opportunity to discuss with the Program Director the development of extended deadline time-lines for submission of scholar requirements.
Off cycle Residents: Please consult your site director about the deadlines for, and presentation of, your QIP and Resident Scholar Project.