Love at First Click: Surgery Residency Websites in the Virtual Era

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency Programs
• Website Analytics

Background:

• Residency program websites are the primary initial contact for prospective surgical residents.
• The shift to virtual interviews in 2020 amplified the importance of online program information.
• A comparative analysis of academic versus community general surgery residency websites was warranted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the online presence of academic and community-based general surgery residency programs.
• To identify specific website characteristics that differ between these two types of programs.
• To assess the availability of key information for prospective surgical residents.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of 268 general surgery residency program websites was conducted.
• Website data included ACGME link availability, research requirements, publications, demographics, alumni info, board pass rates, attrition, educational activities, evaluations, diversity, and mentorship.
• Pearson's Chi-squared test was used for inter-group comparisons between academic and community programs.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were found in 8 out of 12 parameters analyzed.
• Academic programs provided more comprehensive information regarding website access, research, resident demographics, alumni, evaluations, diversity, and mentorship.
• No significant differences were observed in the reporting of resident publications, board pass rates, attrition rates, or educational details.

Conclusions:

• General surgery residency websites often lack comprehensive details.
• A notable disparity exists in the quantity and type of information provided by academic versus community-based programs.
• This difference in online transparency may impact prospective residents' decision-making processes.