Evaluating Authorship Conversations, Transparency, and Perceived Fairness in Medical Student Research: A Survey Study
with Ekshika Patel, Elizabeth Cho, Yosef Smadi, Wendy Christensen and Timothy Bernard
This presentation is released on Monday, January 18, 2027.
In residency applications, authorship carries weight, yet placement is not always a transparent process. A cross-sectional survey of graduating fourth-year students at one institution found 77% had an authorship conversation on at least one project and 23% none; of the 23%, 10% considered their placement unfair. Male students were significantly more likely to report disagreement with placement, and the work proposes a guideline for transparent authorship discussions.
Cite this presentation
Grace Hanson; Ekshika Patel; Elizabeth Cho; Yosef Smadi; Wendy Christensen; Timothy Bernard. Evaluating Authorship Conversations, Transparency, and Perceived Fairness in Medical Student Research: A Survey Study. University of Colorado School of Medicine. Accepted for presentation at the 2026–27 National Aequitas Health Conference, Monday, January 18, 2027.
Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute). This is one of 21 presentations at the 2026–27 National Conference, which is free, virtual and open to anyone.