The path to publishing

Karthikeyan Parthasarathy Iyengar’s own journey highlights the benefits of publications and research in professional development

member for the Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie. Nationally, these roles have helped me become a Fellow of RCSEd’s Faculty of Surgical Trainers, a member of the Academy of Medical Educators, and a board member of the British Indian Orthopaedic Society.

Academic and research scholarship are the fundamental pillars of providing evidencebased medicine at the heart of patient care. SAS surgeons and physicians have a high level of specialist knowledge and diverse skills to share.

However, traditional barriers to scientific publishing include lack of time, resources or effective articulation of the English language1. The art of effective scientific writing and publishing can be cultured. It can support professional development and career promotion, and fulfil the aspirations of all SAS doctors.

Academic publishing in indexed, peer-reviewed journals has several benefits. It is a portal to share knowledge, enhance patient care, enrich clinical confidence, provide supportive evidence for career development and, crucially, earn peer recognition. These attributes also demonstrate the requirements for a scholarship framework for good-medical-practice research set by the GMC, as well as professional standards set by Health Education England and Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) professional standards, while supporting the appraisal and revalidation process for all clinicians.

Opportunities

Although my editorial journey began in 2005, it accelerated during COVID-19 and has offered unique learning opportunities2

This period enabled me to undertake collaborative research with clinicians across the globe and develop collective writing, enhancing my editorial entrepreneurship. Consequently, my h-index increased significantly.

The h-index is a measure of the number of publications published and how often they are cited. My h-index increased from a low 2 to 26 (and 50 on Google Scholar’s i-10 index) on citation databases with more than 2,500 citations (see Figure 1: h-index).

This has provided supportive testimony for my current professional, editorial and university appointments.

At an international level, I have been conferred the title of Honorary Professor at Apollo Hospitals Educational & Research Foundation and selected as an Education Day Committee

Mentorship

The rise in my h-index has also elevated me on the editorialboard hierarchy to become Deputy Editor for the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics &Trauma and Associate Editor at the Journal of Orthopaedics, both of which are PubMed-indexed journals. I promote academic mentorship, empowering my junior colleagues and senior colleagues as coauthors to demonstrate evidence for their appraisal portfolios.

I have also had three eponymous articles published, including a new anatomical description of structures on the medial side of the knee3 .

Academic publishing and research scholarship can be tough but rewarding endeavours. These pursuits need not be the realm of academic scholars.

To paraphrase Robert Frost’s famous poem, The Road Not Taken, I would encourage all my SAS colleagues and LEDs to take the path of academic publishing. Believe me, the results will be there for all to see.

Karthikeyan

Parthasarathy

Iyengar Fellow, RCSEd Faculty of Surgical Trainers, Fellow of AoME, and member of SASL Committee, Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust, Merseyside

References

1 Jain VK, Iyengar KP, Vaishya R. Is the English language a barrier to the non-Englishspeaking authors in academic publishing? Postgrad Med J 2022; 98(1157): 234–235. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj2020-139243. Epub 2020 Nov 6. PMID: 33158939.

2. Iyengar K, Mabrouk A, Jain VK, Venkatesan A, Vaishya R. Learning opportunities from COVID-19 and future effects on healthcare system. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2020; 14(5): 943–946. doi: 10.1016/j. dsx.2020.06.036. Epub 2020 Jun 20. PMID: 32599533; PMCID: PMC7305503.

3 Iyengar KP, Jain VK, Gupta H, Azzopardi C, Botchu R. IyengarBotchu (IB) confluence of the medial kneeanatomy and clinico-radiological review. J Clin Orthop Trauma 2021;22: 101591. doi: 10.1016/j. jcot.2021.101591. PMID: 34567973; PMCID: PMC8447233.