Incentives as a Driving Force for Scholarly Activity in General Surgery Training: Survey of Program Directors and our Institution's Experience.

The article focuses on the role of financial incentives in promoting scholarly activity among faculty and residents in general surgery training programs. A 2020 survey of 80 program directors from university and community hospitals revealed that while 70% required scholarly activity such as publications, only 11% had designated research rotations for residents and a similar proportion offered financial incentives. Most respondents (60%) believed that financial incentives would increase research participation, yet only 30% of programs currently provided such incentives. The article also describes the experience of Ascension Providence Hospital, which implemented a point-based incentive system to encourage faculty and resident scholarly productivity. The authors conclude that uniform, sustainable incentive programs are needed to enhance scholarly activity amid increasing clinical demands.