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ACADEMIA AND CLINIC

Misrepresentation of Academic Accomplishments by Applicants for Gastroenterology Fellowships

Gail Sekas, MD, PhD, and William R. Hutson, MD

1 July 1995 | Volume 123 Issue 1 | Pages 38-41

Objective: To determine whether two applicants who misrepresented their accomplishments in applications for gastroenterology fellowships reflected isolated incidents or whether misrepresentation was more widespread.

Design: Retrospective review of all 236 applications submitted for fellowship in a recent year for confirmation of research experience and cited publications.

Results: 138 applicants (58.5%) reported research experience during residency in a U.S. training program. Research activity could not be confirmed for 47 of 138 applicants (34.1%). Fifty-three applicants (22.4%) reported published articles, and 16 of these applicants (30.2%) misrepresented articles. Misrepresentation included citations of nonexistent articles in actual journals, articles in nonexistent journals, or articles noted as "in press."

Conclusions: Misrepresentation on applications for gastroenterology fellowships was common. The following steps are recommended: 1) Fellowship programs should require that copies of all publications and letters of acceptance for manuscripts in press be submitted with fellowship applications; 2) applications should contain a statement to be signed by the applicant that the information provided is accurate; 3) persons writing letters of recommendation should verify the information being submitted by applicants; 4) medical students and residents should be taught that embellishment of curricula vitae constitutes misconduct; and 5) institutions and professional organizations should develop policies to deal with this problem.

Author and Article Information

From the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Requests for Reprints: William R. Hutson, MD, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Acknowledgments: The authors thank Mary Scheetz, MLS, and John Krueger, PhD, of the Office of Research Integrity, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, for their assistance and helpful discussions.

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