The profile of successful applicants for endocrine surgery fellowships: results of a national survey

Abstract

Background The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) initiated a fellowship match in 2007. The profile of applicants who successfully match into an endocrine surgery (ES) fellowship has not previously been characterized. Methods An IRB-approved, web-based, survey was distributed to recent and current ES fellows. Results The survey response rate was 62% (56/90). The overall mean age was 33 years old (SD ± 3), 54% were female and 37% self-identified as non-white. Only 5% entered their surgical training with the aim of specializing in ES. During residency, respondents were exposed to high volumes of index ES cases. Sixty-two percent had dedicated research time. At the time of fellowship application, the median number of publications was 5 (range, 0-25), and 30% of respondents had additional advanced degrees. Conclusion Entering ES fellows have diverse backgrounds, with strong academic credentials. These data help inform the career mentoring of aspiring ES applicants.

Qualities and characteristics of successfully matched North American HPB surgery fellowship candidates

“…Previous studies have sought to define the factors leading to success in the pediatric and endocrine surgery match processes. 4,5 Even though HPB fellowship positions seem to be at a premium, there are no objective data available to help guide applicants considering application for HPB fellowship. In this study, successfully matched fellows were queried to assess the characteristics of successful applicants and HPB program directors were similarly asked to measure the perceived importance of each domain.…”

An Examination of Applicants and Factors Associated with Matriculation to Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Programs

“…1 Previous studies have sought to define factors associated with matriculation to hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB), pediatric, and endocrine surgery fellowships using survey studies or through review of single-institution data. 7–10 However, surveys or single institution reviews do not capture the entire applicant pool for any given specialty and therefore are subject to inherent biases. To provide a comprehensive and objective view of application to CGSO fellowship training, we obtained data on all applicants from the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).…”