Success in pediatric surgery: An updated survey of Program Directors 2020

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Fellowships
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Pediatric Surgery (PS) fellowship is highly competitive, requiring strong research credentials.
• Program director (PD) perspectives on fellowship selection criteria have not been updated in over a decade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate current factors used by US and Canadian Pediatric Surgery program directors in selecting and ranking fellowship applicants.
• To identify key applicant characteristics, research productivity, and interview performance metrics influencing admission decisions.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was distributed to 58 US and Canadian Pediatric Surgery program directors.
• The survey assessed applicant attributes, ABSITE scores, research output, and interview performance using various question formats.

Main Results:

• A 95% response rate was achieved, with 55 programs participating.
• Program directors emphasized the importance of dedicated research (average two years), first authorship, and publication quantity.
• Interview performance, teamwork, leadership, interpersonal skills, and perceived operative/patient care abilities significantly influenced final rankings.

Conclusions:

• Successful Pediatric Surgery fellowship candidates demonstrate strong research, high-quality publications, and excellent letters of recommendation.
• Program directors weigh interview interactions, perceived teamwork, leadership potential, and clinical skills heavily in their final rankings.