ABR Core Examination Changes That Affect Residency Candidate Decisions.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology Residency Training
• Physician Recruitment

Background:

• The American Board of Radiology (ABR) core examination underwent restructuring, influencing radiology residency training.
• Understanding applicant decision-making is crucial for residency program recruitment and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of ABR core examination restructuring on radiology applicants' residency match decisions.
• To identify key factors influencing applicant choices in the context of examination changes.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 626 radiology residency applicants post-2014 match.
• Applicants rated 21 factors, including eight related to the core examination, on a 5-point scale.
• Respondents identified their top three most influential factors.

Main Results:

• Resident satisfaction, faculty quality, and educational curriculum were the most influential factors (average scores >4.60).
• Core examination pass rate and resources for review courses were rated lower (4.21 and 3.92, respectively).
• Examination-related factors appeared infrequently in the top three influential factors cited by applicants.

Conclusions:

• Traditional factors like resident satisfaction and faculty quality remain paramount in radiology residency selection.
• Despite restructuring, core examination changes have a lesser influence on applicant match decisions compared to established program attributes.
• Residency programs should focus on core strengths while acknowledging, but not overemphasizing, examination-related adjustments.