A Renewed Call for a More Equitable and Holistic Review of Residency Applications in the Era of COVID‐19

Pope, Arthur J; Carter, Keme; Ahn, James

doi:10.1002/aet2.10529

Cited by 17 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The weight placed on the personal interview, personal essay, and letters of recommendation supersedes that of graduate GPA, class rank, and clinical rotation grades, suggesting that applicant characteristics of personability, interpersonal skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are as important to demonstrate as clinical acumen via board certification. This is not too dissimilar from how physician residency programs evaluate certain characteristics in the selection of candidates for postgraduate training [ 3 ]. Importantly, how these non-cognitive attributes were conveyed over a virtual platform must be considered, as interviews were primarily conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the selection criteria for postgraduate physician assistant residency and fellowship programs in the United States

2021

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Background This study aims to investigate the admission criteria used by physician assistant postgraduate education programs in selecting licensed PA applicants for postgraduate training in the United States. To our knowledge, there have been no previously published reports on selection criteria and/or other factors influencing postgraduate PA admission decisions. Method A non-experimental, descriptive research study was designed to obtain information from members of the Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs (APPAP). Results Twenty-three out of 73 postgraduate programs (35%) responded to the survey. The study reported that applicant PAs and NPs are largely selected on the basis of several factors. The most heavily weighted factor is the interview itself; other selection criteria perceived to be extremely/very important included board certification/eligibility, letters of recommendation, advanced degree, and personal essay. Survey data suggest that publications, undergraduate transcripts, and class rankings are not considered to be of high importance in applicant selection. The number of PA applicants applying to each postgraduate training program averages around 26 and total number of enrollees is about 3.6 per program. Additionally, some programs reported furloughing of trainees (temporary suspension of didactic and clinical training) during the pandemic, whereas the vast majority of postgraduate PA programs remained operational and some even experienced an increase in application volume. The total cost of training a PA resident or fellow in postgraduate programs is currently $93,000 whereas the average cost of training a categorical physician resident is estimated at $150,000 per year when considering both salary and benefits. Conclusions This novel study examined criteria and other factors used by postgraduate PA programs in selecting candidates for admission. Results can be used by postgraduate programs to improve or modify current selection criteria to enhance the quality of trainee selection. Further research is needed to examine correlations between applicant attributes, selection criteria, and trainee success in completing postgraduate training.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the selection criteria for postgraduate physician assistant residency and fellowship programs in the United States

2021

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“…We found that 42% of surgery programs are moving from a traditional approach to a holistic approach for their upcoming residency selection process. An increasing emphasis is being placed on the diversification of residency training to reflect an expanding, diverse patient population [ 17 , 18 ]. Incorporating a holistic review process, providing a broader assessment of applicants can play a pivotal role in increasing the proportion of women and underrepresented students involved in the general surgery recruitment process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selecting the Next Generation of Surgeons: General Surgery Program Directors and Coordinators Perspective on USMLE Changes and Holistic Approach

et al. 2021

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Introduction The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) was designed as a universal assessment tool for states to determine physician’s medical licensure's candidacy. Recent changes in the USMLE exam have changed the way future surgical residency candidate applications will be reviewed. The survey aimed to assess the effect of changes in USMLE exams—USMLE Step 1 pass/fail, complete dissolution of USMLE clinical skills exam, and the role of holistic review in future surgical residency candidacy selection. Methods An anonymous online survey was created and distributed to general surgery program directors and coordinators across the USA. The survey aimed to assess attitudes toward changes to USMLE exams and the potential changes with a holistic review of candidate applications. Results The response rate was 63.7%. Most program directors and coordinators disagree with changing USMLE Step 1 to a pass/fail scoring system. The majority felt that contacts, the medical school's name, and performance in clinical electives and sub-internships would hold more significance. They also believe that a holistic review of application will decrease socioeconomic discrepancies and promote a more diverse and inclusive resident cohort. Conclusion Step 2 clinical knowledge (CK) will gain more importance in future residency matches because of the change in the scoring system of Step 1. The medical school's name, personal contacts, and clinical performance in rotations will hold more significance.

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“…The weight placed on the personal interview, personal essay, and letters of recommendation supersedes that of graduate GPA, class rank, and clinical rotation grades, suggesting that applicant characteristics of personability, interpersonal skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are as important to demonstrate as clinical acumen via board certi cation. This is not too dissimilar from how physician residency programs evaluate certain characteristics in the selection of candidates for postgraduate training (3). Moreover, these non-cognitive characteristics may serve as more reliable predictors of success in PA postgraduate training as it does in physician graduate medical education (4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of the Selection Criteria for Postgraduate Physician Assistant Residency and Fellowship Programs in the United States

Kidd¹,

Vanderlinden²,

Spisak³

2021

Preprint

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BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the admission criteria used by PA postgraduate education programs in selecting licensed PA applicants for postgraduate training in the United States. To our knowledge, there have been no previously published reports on selection criteria and/or other factors influencing postgraduate PA admission decisions. This study both draws on and builds upon previous research conducted by Vasco Deon Kidd et. al in exploring the characteristics of PA postgraduate education programs in the United States.Method A non-experimental, descriptive research study was designed to obtain information from members of the Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs (APPAP). ResultsTwenty-three out of 73 postgraduate programs (35.1%) responded to the survey; the low response rate in our survey may have been attributed to the resurgence of COVID-19 fueled by the delta variant. Nevertheless, the study reported that applicant PAs and NPs are largely selected on the basis of several factors. The most heavily weighted factor is the interview itself; other selection criteria perceived to be extremely/very important included board certification/eligibility, letters of recommendation, advanced degree, and personal essay. Survey data suggest that publications, undergraduate transcripts, and class rankings are not considered to be of high importance in applicant selection. The total cost of training a PA resident or fellow in postgraduate programs is currently $93,000 whereas the average cost of training a categorical physician resident is estimated at $150,000 per year when considering both salary and benefits. The number of PA applicants applying to each postgraduate training program averages around 26 and total number of enrollees is 3.6 per program.ConclusionsThis is the first study to examine criteria and others factors used by postgraduate PA programs in selecting candidates for admission. Results can be used by postgraduate programs for quality improvement initiatives related to including additional or modifying current selection criteria to improve the quality of trainee selection. Further research is needed to examine correlations between applicant attributes, selection criteria, and trainee success in completing postgraduate training.

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A Renewed Call for a More Equitable and Holistic Review of Residency Applications in the Era of COVID‐19

Cited by 17 publications

References 26 publications

An analysis of the selection criteria for postgraduate physician assistant residency and fellowship programs in the United States

An analysis of the selection criteria for postgraduate physician assistant residency and fellowship programs in the United States

Selecting the Next Generation of Surgeons: General Surgery Program Directors and Coordinators Perspective on USMLE Changes and Holistic Approach

An Analysis of the Selection Criteria for Postgraduate Physician Assistant Residency and Fellowship Programs in the United States

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