Urology Match: Important Factors Women Consider When Choosing a Residency Training Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Urology
• Surgical Specialties

Background:

• Attracting and retaining female residents in urology is crucial for diversity.
• Understanding resident priorities is key to effective recruitment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most influential factors for women urology resident physicians when selecting residency programs.
• To inform urology training programs on how to better recruit female residents.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to female urology residents during the 2021-2022 academic year.
• Residents rated 19 factors on a 5-point Likert scale and ranked their top 5.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and quantile regression.

Main Results:

• Resident camaraderie, resident happiness, and case variety/number were the highest-rated factors.
• Attitudes toward and policies on maternity leave received the lowest scores overall.
• Married residents and those with children prioritized maternity leave policies more significantly.

Conclusions:

• Women urology residents generally prioritize non-gender-specific factors in program selection.
• Gender-specific factors like maternity leave policies become more important for residents with children or those who are married.
• Urology programs can enhance recruitment by highlighting key program characteristics and addressing specific needs of diverse resident groups.