When Do I Have Time To Do Research?

For many residents I bet that the word 'research' is always looming in the back of their minds. We are all expected, to some degree, to contribute to the academic literature during our short four years as a resident. But do we really have the time? Even though our programs stress the importance of getting involved in research projects, do they offer any protected time to ensure that we do quality work?

Currently at my program, we are given 10 research days that we can apply individually throughout the year during most rotations. It would be impossible to perform the research entirely (or even partly) during those 10 days, but it does allow for time to meet with my mentors periodically during the day (since it is almost impossible to set up a meeting in the evening or on the weekend when I am performing the bulk of my research). Some in my program, including myself, have used elective time for research also. We are allowed use a total of two months of elective time for research. But this is a major problem since our elective time has been severely truncated due to the shortening of the training.

I would like to hear from others concerning this topic. What does your program do to promote research? Are you allowed any time off? Is research mandatory?