Hoskins Nathanael N, Daley Hannah, Cunicelli Marco A
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reading Hospital, West Reading, USA.
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Drexel University College of Medicine, West Reading, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Apr 18;16(4):e58527. doi: 10.7759/cureus.58527. eCollection 2024 Apr.
Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommended that all interviews for residencies and fellowships be conducted in a virtual format. As of March 2024, the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) continues to request that all fellowship interviews occur virtually. Without in-person interviews, prospective Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) fellowship applicants must largely rely on program websites to gain insight into each program's offerings, culture, and application requirements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content of American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) fellowship program websites and assess if regional differences exist among website content. Methods All ACGME-accredited MFM fellowship program websites were assessed for 21 defined criteria as of March 2024 and further compared by geographic regions (Midwest, Northeast, South, and West). Analyses were completed using chi-squared univariate tests, with a p < 0.05. Results Of the 108 accredited MFM fellowship programs, 106 programs had a dedicated website (98.15%). Most MFM programs (over 80%) included contact information (102/106), program director name (98/106), faculty names (95/106), application requirements (92/106), current fellow names (91/106), and the program coordinator name (89/106) on their website. Less programs (less than 30%) included diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) content (28/106), interview dates (28/106), and current fellow research projects or publications (27/106). Western programs were less likely to include the program coordinator's name (12/18 (67%), p = 0.046), but more likely to include DEI content (10/18 (56%), p = 0.005). Northeastern programs were less likely to include their application requirements (24/32 (75%), p = 0.049) and less likely to include pictures of their current fellows (20/32 (63%), p = 0.045). Southern programs were more likely to include the yearly rotation schedule (19/32 (59%), p = 0.040). Midwestern programs were more likely to include information on fellowship benefits or salary (15/24 (63%), p = 0.046). Conclusion This study demonstrated that the content available on MFM fellowship websites varies greatly between programs and geographic regions. Efforts should be made by MFM training institutions to enhance website DEI content, curriculum information, recent fellow publications, and information on program alumni. A detailed and well-structured website may help applicants compare individual programs more equitably in the age of virtual interviewing.
引言 由于新冠疫情,美国医学院协会(AAMC)建议所有住院医师和专科医师培训面试均采用虚拟形式进行。截至2024年3月,母胎医学协会(SMFM)仍要求所有专科医师培训面试以虚拟方式进行。由于没有面对面面试,母胎医学(MFM)专科医师培训的潜在申请者必须主要依靠项目网站来深入了解每个项目的提供内容、文化和申请要求。本研究的目的是评估美国研究生医学教育认证委员会(ACGME)认证的母胎医学(MFM)专科医师培训项目网站的内容,并评估网站内容是否存在地区差异。方法 截至2024年3月,对所有ACGME认证的MFM专科医师培训项目网站进行21项既定标准的评估,并按地理区域(中西部、东北部、南部和西部)进一步比较。使用卡方单变量检验进行分析,p<0.05。结果 在108个认证的MFM专科医师培训项目中,106个项目有专门的网站(98.15%)。大多数MFM项目(超过80%)在其网站上包含联系信息(102/106)、项目主任姓名(98/106)、教员姓名(95/106)、申请要求(92/106)、现任学员姓名(91/106)和项目协调员姓名(89/106)。较少的项目(少于30%)包含多元化、公平、包容(DEI)内容(28/106)、面试日期(28/106)以及现任学员的研究项目或出版物(27/106)。西部的项目不太可能包含项目协调员的姓名(12/18(67%),p = 0.046),但更有可能包含DEI内容(10/18(56%),p = 0.005)。东北部的项目不太可能包含其申请要求(24/32(75%),p = 0.049),也不太可能包含现任学员的照片(20/32(63%),p = 0.045)。南部的项目更有可能包含年度轮转计划(19/32(59%),p = 0.040)。中西部的项目更有可能包含专科医师培训福利或薪资信息(15/24(63%),p = 0.046)。结论 本研究表明,MFM专科医师培训项目网站上提供的内容在不同项目和地理区域之间差异很大。MFM培训机构应努力增加网站上的DEI内容、课程信息、近期学员出版物以及项目校友信息。一个详细且结构良好的网站可能有助于申请者在虚拟面试时代更公平地比较各个项目。