Residency Application Advising: Medical Student & Faculty Advisor Perceived Barriers & Expectations

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Residency Admissions
• Faculty Advising

Background:

• Medical students face challenges navigating the complex residency application process.
• Faculty advisors struggle to keep pace with evolving application requirements, such as the supplemental application.
• These advising gaps can contribute to inequities in the residency application process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers and expectations related to residency application advising from both student and faculty perspectives.
• To understand the challenges medical students encounter when seeking faculty guidance for residency applications.
• To assess faculty advisors' awareness and concerns regarding current residency application procedures.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys were distributed to fourth-year medical students and faculty advisors.
• Surveys collected data on barriers to establishing advisor-advisee relationships and role expectations.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data.

Main Results:

• A majority of students (57%) lacked a faculty advisor close to the application deadline.
• Most students found it difficult to locate an advisor, citing a lack of knowledge on how to do so.
• 75% of faculty expressed concerns or unawareness regarding the supplemental application, despite feeling generally equipped to advise.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in the residency application advising process from both student and faculty viewpoints.
• Enhancing student awareness of available resources is crucial for improving advising relationships.
• Standardized faculty training and resources are necessary to ensure consistent and effective advising.