Audition electives during surgical residency and selection for post-residency fellowship positions

This study sought to determine the impact of surgical resident elective rotations, termed "audition" electives, upon the selection processes of surgical subspecialty residency positions, and to establish the incidence and character of resident personal contact before selection with the program where they ultimately located in order to appropriately council residents in achieving their educational and professional goals.

A national survey of all surgical subspecialty programs for academic year 1999/2000 was conducted to determine whether the current first-year subspecialty residents had been on a clinical rotation of the subspecialty at their institution during their general surgery residency, had participated in research efforts of the specific subspecialty at their institution, and whether the resident's prerequisite general surgery training was obtained at their parent sponsoring institution.

Seventy-two percent of 348 programs responded, representing 396 beginning surgical subspecialty residents for the surveyed academic year. Overall, 73% of first-year surgical subspecialty residents did not have direct prior personal contact with their subspecialty program either through a clinical rotation at the institution or through research as a general surgery resident. Eighty-four percent of first-year surgical subspecialty residents did not complete their general surgery residency at the parent sponsoring institution of the subspecialty program.

An audition elective does not appear to significantly influence the process of surgical subspecialty resident selection. The findings further validate the fairness of the selection processes.