Impact of a third-year post-graduation preparation elective course

Background Limited literature is available evaluating retrospective student perceptions of the utility of a postgraduate preparation elective at graduation and career onset and its impact on residency match rates. This project sought to explore the perceived usefulness of a third-year elective course from 2016 to 2019 on post-graduation preparation and to compare the match rate of students enrolled vs. not enrolled in the elective. Impact The majority of students pursuing residency programs (94%) perceived the elective course as helpful in navigating the postgraduate training process. Of the students pursuing other employment, 77.8% found the elective to be helpful in navigating the employment process. The top five activities identified as most useful included: cover letters, letters of intent, and thank you cards overview; curriculum vitae workshop; interviewing tips; mock interviews; and overview of postgraduate training opportunities. The match rate was not statistically different between those who completed the elective (60.7%) vs. all school graduates (64.7%) (P =.70). Recommendations Consideration should be given to the topics to be included in this type of elective course depending on the targeted audience. Additionally, it may be more beneficial to introduce these types of topics and activities to students earlier in their didactic career and integrate them into different parts of the curriculum. Discussion The post-graduation preparation elective course was perceived positively by students in terms of preparing for their postgraduate plans. Limitations and confounders make it difficult to determine the true impact of this type of elective on successful residency match rates.