From Thesis to Publication: Unveiling the Predictive Factors for Cardiology Research at a North African Faculty of Medicine (Tunisia)

INTRODUCTION: The benchmark of a medical thesis' success is often its acceptance for publication in an indexed journal. AIM: To determine the publication rate of practice theses in the field of Cardiology at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse (FMSo) in Tunisia and to identify predictive factors for successful publication. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive bibliometric analysis of Cardiology theses defended at FMSo from 2000 to 2019. Data were extracted from the theses' cover pages, abstracts, and conclusions. The publication status was ascertained via searches in "MEDLINE", "Scopus", and "Google Scholar". Predictive factors for publication were identified using multivariate analysis with a 90% Confidence Interval (CI). RESULTS: Of the 111 Cardiology theses defended at FMSo between 2000 and 2019, 36 were published yielding 42 scientific articles (publication rate of 32%). Notably, 86% of these articles were indexed in "MEDLINE" and/or "Scopus". In 79% of cases, doctoral candidates were co-authors of the resultant publications. Publication was significantly influenced by three factors: scientific mentorship by an Assistant or Associate Professor (aOR=3.021; 90%CI: 1.06-10.14; p=0.082), a prospective study design (aOR=2.536; 90%CI: 1.07-6.02; p=0.076), and a satisfactory quality of writing (aOR=2.384; 90%CI: 1.11-5.11; p=0.061). CONCLUSION: The publication of Cardiology theses at FMSo was found to be associated with the prospective design of the study and the quality of writing. Thus, it is imperative to enhance the research methodology and scientific communication skills of medical thesis candidates and their mentors to facilitate the transition from academic dissertations to medical articles.