Use of Signaling in Family Medicine Residency Interviewing

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Although signals have been used in the residency application process by other specialties, family medicine residency directors have not previously participated. With applicant signal information available for the first time in the 2023–2024 application cycle, the current study describes family medicine residency program directors’ intended use of signals and provides benchmarking descriptive data that may help inform best practices and future studies. Methods: A total of 691 of the 745 family medicine program directors in US family medicine residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were surveyed. We used ꭓ2 and Pearson correlation analyses to examine how program directors of family medicine residency programs intended to use signaling and their perceived impact of signaling on the residency interviewing process. Results: Most program directors indicated that applicant signals would assist them in deciding who to invite for an interview and would be a positive factor in a holistic review process. However, program directors also noted that rotation experience or geographic ties would be more powerful inducements to interview or rank a specific candidate. Program directors did not indicate a belief that signals would decrease interview season stress or workload. Conclusions: Signals may play an important role in the residency application process for family medicine in 2023–2024. While signals are not anticipated to decrease application workload or stress, a signal may be an important mechanism for a specific applicant to distinguish themselves with a program.