Evaluation of surgical oncology fellowship websites: Are we showing what applicants need to see?

Abstract

Background The Internet is a major resource for surgery fellowship applicants, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online information for surgical oncology and breast oncology training programs can be found on the Society of Surgical Oncology's webpage and fellowship institution websites. The goal of this study was to analyze the comprehensiveness of complex general surgical oncology and breast oncology fellowship websites. Materials and methods A list of all accredited surgical oncology and breast oncology fellowships was recorded from the Society of Surgical Oncology website and stratified by region. Then, a Google search was performed on each fellowship program to determine each institution's webpage. Two of the authors then analyzed 2 web resources, institutional website and Society of Surgical Oncology webpage, for each fellowship program to determine if information valued by applicants was provided. Results Online information of 29 surgical oncology fellowships and 59 breast oncology fellowships was analyzed. Statistical differences were found among criteria in major information categories between Society of Surgical Oncology and institutional webpages for both fellowship types. Detailed criteria were more present on institutional rather than Society of Surgical Oncology webpages. Conclusion For applicants to surgical oncology fellowships, institutional webpages provided the most pertinent information and may be used as a primary resource to guide fellowship application. For applicants to breast oncology fellowships, Society of Surgical Oncology webpages may be used as a primary resource to guide fellowship application. Both Society of Surgical Oncology and institutional pages lacked pertinent information regarding interview dates, and these resources should be updated to reflect program highlights as well as pertinent information for applicants.

An updated analysis of the content and accessibility of hand surgery fellowship websites and fellowship directories

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased reliance on virtual learning and application processes (Ottinger et al 2021;Dedeilia et al 2020), yet many deficits have endured. Surgical oncology fellowship websites were analyzed a year after the onset of COVID-19, and similar gaps in information were still noted (Aryanpour et al 2022). Moreover, comparisons to previously published studies have discovered continued deficits in spine, foot and ankle, pediatric orthopaedics, and sports medicine (Gerlach et al 2021;Yayac, Javandal, and Mulcahey 2017;Cohen, Shea, and Imrie 2021;Khwaja et al 2020).…”

“…However, its sudden, transformative impact has further reinforced this significance across the medical education and patient care landscapes (Kaul et al 2021;Sharma and Bhaskar 2020) The transition to webbased learning, online video-conferencing, and virtual communication have been unavoidable consequences of the pandemic (Kogan et al 2020;Wilcha 2020). These shifts have had profound effects on hand surgery fellowship programs and fellowship applicants making crucial decisions about the final stage of their formal medical training (Gerlach et al 2021;Jain et al 2021;Nelson et al 2021;Aryanpour et al 2022;Gupta et al 2021;Swiatek et al 2021). As with many other fellowship programs, hand surgery fellowship interviews and information sessions have been conducted almost exclusively via online videoconferencing and webinars since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Assessing the Quality of Recruitment Information on Skull Base Surgical Fellowship Program Websites

“…Web-based resources have increasingly become the default resource for candidates seeking information regarding medical residency programs and post-residency fellowships. 1,2 The importance of web-based materials and the reliance upon web-based resources have become particularly prominent across many professions since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) global health crisis when inperson information sessions were eliminated due to public health concerns. 2 Quality online materials are, therefore, an increasingly important resource and means of helping programs attract applicants.…”