Session Design Submission Review

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Many clinician educators are deeply interested in educational research but are often unsure where to begin. Starting a research project from scratch can feel daunting, especially when facing challenges such as obtaining IRB approval, dealing with small sample sizes, limited generalizability from single-institution studies, and designing a methodologically sound study. This interactive workshop is designed to bridge that gap by equipping participants with the knowledge, framework, tools, and confidence to initiate research using existing national databases relevant to surgical education. Organizations like ACGME, ABS, SIMPL, AAMC, and NRMP maintain large, high-quality, deidentified datasets that enable rigorous educational studies using quantitative, qualitative, or even mixed-method approaches.

This 90-minute, scaffolded, example-driven session is ideal for residents, clinician educators, and early-career faculty who want to pursue educational research but seek a structured and practical starting point or who are looking to expand their current surgical education research interests.

Module 1: Seeing What’s Possible – Examples of Database Research
We will begin by reviewing exemplar studies that illustrate the possible uses of national datasets from large-scale quantitative analyses of training outcomes to qualitative evaluations of learner experiences using open-ended responses.

Interactive activity: Participants work in small groups to dissect example study summaries, identifying research designs, data sources, and analytic approaches used. This exercise highlights how methodological choices can align with different educational questions, and inspires participants to imagine possibilities beyond traditional survey studies.

Module 2: Database Selection and Research Process

We will provide an overview of major national databases, examining their structure, available variables, and suitability for different research frameworks. Participants will learn to distinguish databases that support descriptive/correlational studies of trainees and programs, enable linkage to clinical outcomes, facilitate qualitative or mixed-methods studies, and allow for instrument validation. We then will walk through the practical steps of launching a database study: structuring research questions, drafting data request applications, understanding IRB requirements, navigating data use agreements, managing multi-database linkage procedures, and planning analyses.

Interactive exercise: Participants work through case scenarios, matching research questions to databases and troubleshooting common challenges such as missing variables, linkage approval, and data request revisions.

Module 3: Action Plan

Participants will work independently to develop their own research proposal, with facilitators circulating to provide guidance and feedback. Each participant will identify their research type, select appropriate database(s), draft a research question, create an analytic plan, and outlines key steps and timeline for their study. Participants will then share their plans in small groups for peer feedback before finalizing. Deliverable: A one-page research action plan ready to discuss with research mentors or collaborators.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have both the conceptual framework and the practical tools to confidently launch their own national database study in surgical education.

90-minute workshop

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Identify national databases relevant to surgical education research and differentiate their strengths, limitations, and optimal applications

Recognize the practical steps of database research, including data request procedures, IRB requirements, and data use agreements

Formulate feasible research proposals aligned with appropriate databases