Research Publications of the Oman Medical Specialty Board

OBJECTIVES: To date, the quantity and the quality of research publications conducted within the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) have not been assessed. In this review, we sought to assess the quantity and quality of research publications affiliated with the OMSB. METHODS: We retrieved data systematically from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We searched all publications published until December 2018. RESULTS: A total of 133 published articles affiliated with the OMSB were retrieved. Half of the publications were original studies, and 30.8% were case reports or series. Reviews and editorials represented 6.8% and 8.3%, respectively. Among the original studies, 79.4% were cross sectionals and 50.0% were retrospective in nature. Among the prospective studies, 58.8% were questionnaire-based surveys. The impact factors of the journals ranged between 0.82 and 4.40, except for one journal with an impact factor of 15.10. CONCLUSIONS: The quantity and quality of the publications from the OMSB is still low. However, training and policy change in the residency curriculum is key to improve the status.