Aspects of Residency Programs' Web Sites Important to Student Applicants

Abstract

Objectives: To determine which components of a residency Web site (RWS) are important to residency applicants. Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional observational study of residency applicants. All applicants were invited to participate and were provided with a nine-question survey. Applicants were asked questions regarding the importance and impact of RWSs on the residency application process. They were also asked to rate items regarding content and aesthetics, and then rank all items in order of importance. Descriptive statistics are reported. Rank-order displays were determined using the Condorcet choice method. Results: One hundred eightyeight (82%) of the applicants responded to the survey. Seventy-eight percent of the respondents reported that information provided in an RWS influenced their decision to apply to a particular program (41% decided not to apply to at least one program based on the quality of its RWS). Applicants believed that presentation of the residency curriculum was most important. Information about the hospital and its affiliates, faculty and resident information, and research activities followed in the rank order. Least important to applicants were the aesthetic quality of the site, faculty/resident photographs, and educational resource materials. The authors report additional areas of content that applicants thought would be useful to view. Conclusions: The content, and not necessarily the aesthetic quality, of an RWS is important to residency applicants. The residency program Web site would seem to be an important factor in the applicant's decision to apply. The applicant's perspective provides training program directors and administrators with focused direction in Web site development or for upgrading existing RWSs for use by future applicants.

Interventional radiology fellowship website content: what is the relevance to potential applicants?

“…They also reported that reported that 41% of applicants reported not applying to at least one residency program secondary to poor website quality (2). In another study, Mahler et al also reported that website accessibility and ease of navigation were important criteria in the decision-making process for 40% of emergency medicine applicants (3).…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that amongst anesthesia and emergency medicine residency applicants, the content of the program's website influences a prospective applicant's decision to apply to the program in 56% and 78%, respectively (1, 2). Specifically, Gaeta et al reported that emergency medicine residency applicants were most interested in information regarding the residency curriculum, hospital, faculty, current residents, and research opportunities in a survey-based study (2).…”

Importance of Residency Program Web Sites to Emergency Medicine Applicants

“…In 2005, Gaeta et al studied the aspects of a web site that were important to fourth year medical students applying to a single residency program (2). They found that the information provided on a residency program's web site did influence a candidate's decision about applying to that program.…”

Accredited Hand Surgery Fellowship Web Sites: Analysis of Content and Accessibility

“…Furthermore, in that study, 41% of residents reported not applying to at least one residency program based on the poor quality of the associated Web site. 2 Finally, Mahler et al 3 reported that almost all emergency medicine applicants research programs online and 40% considered an easily navigated Web site important in the decision-making process. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that the information available on and the accessibility of residency program Web sites are important factors in the decision-making process of residency applicants.…”