A Window to Internet-based Information Seeking of US Fourth-Year Medical Students: Are Radiation Oncology Residency Program Websites Comprehensive?

Content Evaluation of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Websites

“…One independent reviewer evaluated the websites for the presence of 25 unique criteria, most of which were selected based on studies that identified focal points of interest ( Table 1, column 1). 4,5 Information was considered present if it was found directly on the PM&R residency or department websites of the associated academic institution.…”

“…During our time of analysis, the databases or websites may not have been up to date or under revision. While we modeled the collection criteria in this study using information obtained by previous studies, 4,5 we understand that the criteria are inherently subjective. Residency programs may have valid reasons for declining to display the information we analyzed in this study, which were not explored.…”

“…Although databases such as Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) have been established in an effort to standardize online information, various studies across different specialties (ie, Emergency Medicine, Radiology Oncology, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Pediatrics, and General Surgery) have shown deficiencies in the content available and the variable use of residency program websites for education and recruitment. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] There are various levels of familiarity and attitude toward the different areas of PM&R; however, the field as a whole is becoming more well-known as medical students start to recognize the value of physiatric skillsets in enhancing their understanding of how to comprehensively evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of pathologies. [10][11][12][13] A prior 16-item, 130-factor questionnaire administered to graduating PM&R residents by DeLisa et al found that some of the most popular factors influencing resident decisions for residency programs included: "flexibility for family obligations, opportunities to make a difference in peopleʼs lives, interest in helping people, type of patient problem encountered, and consistency with the personality."…”

“…Considering this shift in information consumption, the lack of an instructive and well‐organized website can lead to an undesirable first impression for a program, especially given the wide scope of all that physiatry encompasses. Although databases such as Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) have been established in an effort to standardize online information, various studies across different specialties (ie, Emergency Medicine, Radiology Oncology, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Pediatrics, and General Surgery) have shown deficiencies in the content available and the variable use of residency program websites for education and recruitment …”

Improving the online presence of residency programs to ameliorate COVID-19’s impact on residency applications

“…There have been nationwide assessments on the content of residency program websites within fourteen specialties available to graduating medical students (Figure 1). [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Although methodology and variable selection was not uniform, these studies all attempted to quantify the availability of online information for applicants on residency program websites by using predetermined sets of content variables found to be of interest to potential applicants (Supplementary Table 1 and identified 22 variables that were rated as "important" by students. 25 However, 17 of these variables, such as career placement and board pass rates, were significantly underrepresented on actual program websites.…”