The Case for Transparency in the Ophthalmology Residency Match

Liebman, Daniel; Armstrong, Grayson W.; Shah, Ankoor S.; Lorch, Alice C.; Miller, Joan W.; Chodosh, James

doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.10.019

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…The objective of this study aligns with recent calls for an improved and more transparent application process for aspiring ophthalmologists of all backgrounds. 15 We recognize the ever-changing landscape of graduate medical education, and we present this observed gap in diversity and inclusion information as an opportunity for improvement in what programs present to prospective ophthalmology applicants in an era where the internet is a main resource for information.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Presence of Diversity or Inclusion Information on US Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites

2022

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Presence of Diversity or Inclusion Information on US Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites

2022

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“…The SFMatch hosts a Web site that is updated yearly to provide medical students with access to a list of participating programs in that year's residency match, as well as select pieces of data provided by each residency program. 11 Data provided by SFMatch includes the type of residency program (i.e., integrated vs. joint), the number and specialty of teaching staff, surgical volume caseload, and proportion of residents participating in certain postgraduate career paths (i.e., fellowship vs. direct-to-practice).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8][9][10] In an effort to improve transparency, SFMatch started to publish data on participating ophthalmology residency programs in 2020. 11 The intent of such a site is to consolidate relevant information for applicants, which may allow applicants to tailor where they apply to based on objective program characteristics that they would deem a strong fit for their interests. To date, there has been limited analysis on the approach SFMatch has taken and its success.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Big Data Gap: Asymmetric Information in the Ophthalmology Residency Match Process and the Argument for Transparent Residency Data

Breton,

Desai

2023

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Background The ophthalmology match is an important step for graduating medical students that defines their future career. Residency programs demonstrate significant variability due to differences in size, location, research output, subspecialty exposure, surgical case load, and alumni fellowship/practice placement. Despite the importance of informed decision-making, applicants often find limited, inconsistent information about potential programs. Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize and identify gaps in the information available to residents in the 2022 to 2023 Match. Methods The SFMatch Web site was reviewed to identify programs included as well as characteristics cited on each program's webpage. Program webpages were used to evaluate availability and consistency of data on site surgical caseload, fellowship slots, and teaching staff. Results Of the 121 programs included on SFMatch, 23 (19%) provided no data on August 15, 2022 (15 days prior to application submission deadline) and 9 (7%) lacked program data on October 15, 2022. Though most programs provided mean cataract volume, data on volume of other procedures for graduating residents was highly variable and occasionally misleading. Programs did not provide information on several academic and social considerations that may influence match ranking choice. Conclusion Applicants often must read “between the lines” to identify residency program strengths and weaknesses. Data crucial to informing the application process remain sparse, unavailable, or spread across resources. Limited data increases applicant dependence on word-of-mouth knowledge to inform decision-making. This might reduce diversity by limiting successful applicants to those with existing connections within the field.

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“…Increasing transparency in residency selection criteria has been put forward as a potential solution to the increasing application numbers [20][21][22] which conglomerates information about individual NRMP residencies into one database and allows users to gauge their competitiveness by comparing their application profile to matched applicants at each program [24]. However, since ophthalmology uses the SF Match, which neither participates in the PD survey nor shares data with Residency Explorer, information about selection criteria for ophthalmology residency is far less accessible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increasing transparency in residency selection criteria has been put forward as a potential solution to the increasing application numbers [ 20 - 22 ]. To this end, the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) publishes a biennial report called the NRMP Program Director (PD) survey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transparency in the Ophthalmology Residency Match: Background, Study, and Implications

Markle¹,

Ahmed²,

Pandya³

et al. 2021

Cureus

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Background Medical students are applying to dramatically more ophthalmology residency programs than in the past, causing an increased administrative burden for programs and financial harm to students. This study considers the background of this situation and looks at how a lack of transparency surrounding potential residency match filters contributes. Furthermore, this study raises several potential solutions to this lack of transparency that may increase the functionality of the ophthalmology residency match. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the availability and consistency of potential ophthalmology residency match filters through training program websites and the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Residency & Fellowship Database (FREIDA). Methods This study was a cross-sectional observational study of ophthalmology residency program websites and AMA's FREIDA database entries. For 119 ophthalmology residency programs, five potential filters were evaluated for both availability and consistency on individual residency websites and FREIDA. These filters were: (1) whether a program required a minimum United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score; (2) minimum number of letters of recommendation required; 3) whether a minimum USMLE Step 2 score was required; (4) if the program accepts the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) sequence in lieu of the USMLE; and (5) ability of the residency to sponsor a visa (J-1, H-1B, or F-1). Each program's website and FREIDA entry were independently evaluated by two authors to increase validity, with a third author brought in to break the tie in case of a disagreement. Results Only two ophthalmology residency programs had information about all five filters both available and consistent on their website and FREIDA. Inter-reviewer reliability was 92.5%. Conclusions Information about potential filters used in the ophthalmology residency match is neither publicly available nor consistent. This lack of transparency may contribute to the phenomenon of medical students applying to dramatically more ophthalmology residency programs. A standardized database of these filters is needed to increase transparency to applicants, which may reduce the expenses of medical students and the workload of program directors.

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The Case for Transparency in the Ophthalmology Residency Match

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Presence of Diversity or Inclusion Information on US Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites

Presence of Diversity or Inclusion Information on US Ophthalmology Residency Program Websites

The Big Data Gap: Asymmetric Information in the Ophthalmology Residency Match Process and the Argument for Transparent Residency Data

Transparency in the Ophthalmology Residency Match: Background, Study, and Implications

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