Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Department of Radiation Oncology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2021 May;22(5):150-167. doi: 10.1002/acm2.13235. Epub 2021 Mar 30.
The purpose of this study was to gauge the experiences of applicants and program directors (PDs) in the Medical Physics (MedPhys) Match (MPM) and to determine the most important characteristics and factors that influence decision-making for applicants and programs when screening, interviewing, and ranking in the MPM. Opinions were also solicited from applicants and PDs on the status of medical physics residencies and the selection process, such as the availability of residency positions and satisfaction with the match process.
A survey was sent to all applicants registered for the 2015-2018 MPM and to all PDs registered for the 2015-2017 MPM. Survey questions asked about the pre-interview screening, interview, and ranking stages of the residency match process. Survey data were analyzed using graphical methods and spreadsheet tools.
An increasing percentage of applicants are female and/or hold a PhD as their highest degree. The over all number of interview invitations per applicant has increased, leading some applicants to decline interviews with the top reasons being cost of travel and scheduling conflicts. The top considerations for applicants in ranking programs were residency program/institution reputation, program structure/organization, and facilities/equipment available. The primary considerations identified by PDs for ranking applicants included impressions from the interview, personality fit, and clinical potential. While two-thirds of applicants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that a residency position was difficult to obtain, roughly one-third of PDs agree that the current residency placement rate is a problem.
Four years of survey data on the experiences of applicants and PDs participating in the MPM is useful to future participants navigating the residency match system. It is hoped that the data will be helpful to inform improvements and to enhance understanding of the residency match system and how it shapes our profession.
本研究旨在评估医学物理（MedPhys）匹配（MPM）中申请人和项目主管（PD）的经验，并确定在 MPM 中筛选、面试和排名时影响申请人和项目决策的最重要特征和因素。还向申请人和 PD 征求了关于医学物理住院医师的地位和选择过程的意见，例如住院医师职位的可用性和对匹配过程的满意度。
向所有注册参加 2015-2018 年 MPM 的申请人和所有注册参加 2015-2017 年 MPM 的 PD 发送了一份调查。调查问题涉及住院医师匹配过程的预面试筛选、面试和排名阶段。使用图形方法和电子表格工具分析调查数据。
越来越多的申请人是女性和/或拥有博士学位作为其最高学位。每位申请人收到的面试邀请总数有所增加，导致一些申请人拒绝面试，主要原因是旅行费用和日程安排冲突。申请人在排名项目时的首要考虑因素是住院医师项目/机构的声誉、项目结构/组织和可用的设施/设备。PD 用于对申请人进行排名的主要考虑因素包括面试印象、个性契合度和临床潜力。尽管三分之二的申请人同意或强烈同意获得住院医师职位困难的说法，但大约三分之一的 PD 同意当前住院医师安置率是一个问题。
关于参加 MPM 的申请人和 PD 经验的四年调查数据对未来参与住院医师匹配系统的人员很有用。希望这些数据有助于改进，并增进对住院医师匹配系统及其如何塑造我们职业的理解。
