Residency selection: do the perceptions of US programme directors and applicants match?

Abstract

Medical Education 2012: 46: 491–500 Objectives This study sought to evaluate the practices and perceptions of US residency programme directors (PDs) and residency applicants with reference to the use of social media and Internet resources in the resident doctor selection process. Methods A survey was distributed via e‐mail (SurveyMonkey®) to 2592 PDs of programmes in 22 specialties accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. A separate survey was distributed to all residency candidates applying for postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) positions at the Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey. Results A total of 1200 (46.3%) PDs completed the survey. Overall, 16.3% (n = 196) of respondents reported visiting Internet resources to gain more information about applicants, 38.1% (74 of 194) of whom had ranked an applicant lower as a result. American medical graduates (AMGs), US international medical graduates (USIMGs) and non‐USIMGs all felt that performance on Step 1 of the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) was a critical aspect of a residency application. More AMGs than USIMGs and non‐USIMGs believed that PDs made use of social media resources when evaluating applicants and that their online profiles might influence their rankings. Conclusions Residency candidates universally understand the importance of USMLE Step 1 scores in maintaining a competitive application. However, significant differences exist among AMGs, USIMGs and non‐USIMGs in their perceptions of the value of other applicant criteria, which may place some applicants at a disadvantage. A small but growing number of PDs currently use Internet resources to learn more about applicants and base their recruitment decisions in part on the information they encounter. At present, applicants are generally unaware of the implications their online activity may have on their selection for residency. Content guideline programmes that raise awareness of the possible impact of social media on the residency recruitment process are needed and should be delivered early in medical education.

The Use of Social Media in Graduate Medical Education: A Systematic Review

“…Among the platforms studied, Facebook 25,28,30–32,34–37,39 (n = 8, 27.6%), blogs 13,21,22 (n = 3, 10.3%), Twitter 11,14,16 (n = 3, 10.3%), and podcasts 12,20,23 (n = 3, 10.3%) were the four most common. While the focus of each study pertained to residents, 9 studies 13,17,23,25,28–30,33,39 (31.0%) included medical students and 9 studies 14,24,26,27,30,31,33,34,38 (31.0%) included faculty members and program directors (PDs). Among the GME residencies, studies on social media most frequently focused on residents of general/sub-specialty surgery 27,28,34,35,37 (n = 5, 17.2%), internal medicine 11,13,14 (n = 3,10.3%) and anesthesia 12,20,23 (n = 3,10.3%); radiology, emergency medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, and dermatology residents were studied, albeit less frequently with respect to social media.…”

“…26–28 In a study in the Journal of Surgical Education , Go and colleagues surveyed 250 PDs of general surgery and surgery sub-specialty residency programs on their use of social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc) to screen applicants. 27 They reported that 17% visit social media sites to gain info about applicants, and that upon doing so, 33.3% of those PDs ranked applicants lower after a review of their social media profile/s.…”

“…Similarly, another study by Go and colleagues in Medical Education surveyed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) PDs on their use of social media platforms during the intern selection process. 26 They found that 16.3% of 196 PDs had reviewed Internet resources to learn more about a candidate’s application. In this study, a high proportion (38.1%) of PDs ranked applicants lower as a result of their social media profile/s.…”

The association of USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores with residency match specialty and location

“…Indeed, students are often advised to consider their own USMLE scores when deciding which specialties and programs to rank. In one survey, students applying to residency programs universally regarded Step 1 scores as one of the top academic factors considered by residency program directors when evaluating applicants for residency [3]. Their perceptions are well-founded: in the 2014 national survey of residency program directors across all specialties conducted by the NRMP (N = 1793), the USMLE Step 1 / COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination) Level 1 score was the most commonly cited factor in selecting applicants to interview, with 94% of respondents indicating that they considered Step 1/ COMLEX Level 1 scores when selecting applicants, while 80% indicated that they considered Step 2 CK / COMLEX Level 2 Cognitive Evaluation (CE) scores.…”

Ranking of Resident Applicants on the Match List – Does it Correlate with Their Final Ranking on the Core Competencies?

“…As a result, 33% of the surgical programs, and 38.1% of all programs, ranked applicants lower based upon data from social media websites. 6,7,8 In 2013, a meta-analysis analyzed studies done to determine if the various criteria that program directors use to select and rank their candidates had any relationship to how these candidates actually fare in their residencies. 9 The authors performed a literature search of the following medical and educational databases up through September 4, 2012: Excerpt Medica Database (EMBASE); Education Resources Information Center (ERIC); MEDLINE and PubMed for publications in English that met their selection criteria of comparing a measurable selection strategy with a measureable outcome.…”