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

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Graduate Medical Education
• Residency Selection

Background:

• The residency selection process involves evaluating numerous applicant criteria.
• Social media and internet resources are increasingly prevalent in professional and personal life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the use of social media and internet resources by US residency program directors (PDs) and applicants.
• To understand perceptions regarding these resources in the resident doctor selection process.

Main Methods:

• Surveys were distributed to 2592 PDs across 22 specialties accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
• A separate survey was administered to residency candidates applying for postgraduate year 1 positions at a specific medical center.

Main Results:

• 16.3% of PDs reported using internet resources to research applicants, with 38.1% of those lowering an applicant's rank.
• All graduate types (American medical graduates, US international medical graduates, non-US international medical graduates) recognized the importance of USMLE Step 1 scores.
• American medical graduates perceived PDs' use of social media more than other groups.

Conclusions:

• While USMLE Step 1 scores are universally valued, perceptions of other criteria differ among applicant groups.
• A growing minority of PDs utilize internet resources for applicant evaluation, influencing recruitment decisions.
• There is a need for educational programs to inform applicants about the potential impact of their online activity on residency selection.