Program Website Evaluation of Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency and Fellowship Programs

The purpose of our study was to assess the comprehensiveness of Canadian obstetrics and gynaecology residency and fellowship program websites to understand the quality of information available to prospective students and make recommendations, if needed.

All active residency and fellowship program websites (as of May 2020) were evaluated and compared using 72-point criteria in the following domains: Recruitment, Faculty, Current Residents/Fellows, Research and Education, Surgical Procedures, Clinical Work, Benefits and Incentives, Wellness, and Environment. Programs without websites were excluded from the study. Program website information availability was compared by geographic region.

Out of the identified 80 residency and fellowship programs, 68.75% (55) were from central Canada, 6.25% (5) from Atlantic Canada, and 25% (20) from western Canada. The mean score for residency websites was 25.4 ± 7.59 (35.6% of criteria complete). The domains with the highest and lowest inclusion rates were Research and Education (46.3% criteria complete) and Current Residents (16.2% criteria complete). The mean score of fellowship websites was 27.9 ± 8.89 (38.8% criteria complete). For fellowship websites, Wellness had the highest inclusion rate (66.0% criteria complete), while Current Fellows had the lowest (13.2% criteria complete). Overall, fellowship websites scored higher than residency websites (27.9 ± 8.89 and 25.4 ± 7.59 out of 72 criteria, respectively).

Overall, Canadian postgraduate obstetrics and gynaecology program websites include information on many topics relevant to prospective students, such as research, education, and wellness. Programs should provide more information about work hours, call schedules, and current trainees. Lastly, there is an opportunity for programs in western and Atlantic Canada to increase the comprehensiveness of their websites.