Analyzing the Content Found on Fellowship Websites for Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) fellowship is a two-year fellowship that can be done by physicians who have finished their internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship. This study evaluated the accessibility and provided information on the websites of the ACHD fellowship programs to identify potential areas of improvement for future fellowship applicants. Analysis of 25 ACHD fellowship program websites was conducted based on 34 criteria under three main categories: recruitment information, education and research information, and incentive information. This study found that many evaluated ACHD program websites lacked information regarding recruitment. Specifically, information regarding mentorship opportunities, hospital statistics/number of beds, selection process, and interview dates, leaving out crucial details on what to expect during the matching process. Additionally, more information on education and research is beneficial for applicants to sufficiently compare ACHD fellowship programs and make more informed decisions about which programs they would like to apply to. Information on academic stipends, evaluation criteria, expected caseload, moonlighting opportunities, elective opportunities, rotation schedules, call requirements, and types of procedures were all limited across multiple websites. Lastly, incentive information was found to be insufficient across most ACHD fellowship websites. Incentive information included fellow wellness, harassment policies, parental leave, salary, benefits, and vacation/sick leave. This study shows that ACHD fellowship programs need to supply more information on their websites to provide applicants with details to help them choose the fellowship program that corresponds best with their career goals. Expanding upon information regarding recruitment, education, research, and incentives will provide applicants with a strong understanding of ACHD fellowship programs and what they can expect throughout their education. In return, this will help ACHD fellowship programs attract stronger applicants, ultimately improving the quality of their respective programs.