Publication Name	World Journal of Methodology
Manuscript ID	117516
Country	Israel

Category	Surgery
Manuscript Type	Opinion Review
Article Title	Surgical paradox: Pen vs scalpel-an opinion review on reforming academic promotion
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Ahmad Mahamid
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Ahmad Mahamid, Assistant Professor, Director, Head, Department of Surgery, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine., Efron St 1, Haifa 3200003,, Israel. mahamidam@yahoo.com
Key Words	Academic promotion; Surgeon; Clinical mastery; Publications; Artificial intelligence; Medical education; Disparities
Core Tip	The current academic promotion system in surgery creates a “credentialing paradox” by prioritizing quantifiable publication metrics over clinical mastery. This culture, further complicated by the rise of artificial intelligence, risks advancing “statistician-surgeons” while devaluing the essential expertise required in the operating room. This opinion review advocates for a multidimensional framework that formally recognizes excellence in clinical care, education, and mentorship alongside traditional research. Rebalancing these metrics is vital to ensure that surgical leadership reflects professional proficiency, ultimately improving patient care and institutional equity.
Citation	Mahamid A. Surgical paradox: Pen vs scalpel-an opinion review on reforming academic promotion. World J Methodol 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-11 01:30
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-11 01:30
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-08 08:04
Return for Revision	2026-01-08 08:04
Revised	2026-01-09 13:59
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-01-29 02:33
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-29 08:20
Articles in Press	2026-01-29 08:20
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2222-0682 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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