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Trends and Insights from Urology Residency Applicants: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Impressions (2022-2024)
Brielle Barclay-Rochefort, DPT, Katherine Merport, BA, Cedrick B. Chiu, BS, Luke Maietta, BA, Xinyue C. Tan, MD, Jennifer Fantasia, MD, Ashley Alford, MD.
UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
BACKGROUND: Online forums like Reddit allow urology residency applicants to share experiences, advice, and data. One online forum collects feedback on residency programs to help applicants finalize their rank lists. This study aims to identify key factors in applicant decision-making. Understanding these factors is vital for guiding applicants, highlighting key program characteristics, and addressing what matters most to applicants in the residency match process.
METHODS: Data from Reddit’s Urology Match spreadsheets, which contain applicant impressions, were analyzed for 2021-2024 cycles. The “Impressions” tabs listing applicant experiences per program were coded by commonly found themes including autonomy, resident cohesion, faculty support, case diversity, hospital sites, and work-life balance. Miscellaneous comments were grouped separately. Two coders initially performed the coding, resolving discrepancies with a third coder for reliability. Topic frequency was calculated as a percentage, and chi-square analysis assessed statistical significance.
RESULTS: Analysis of 895 comments across seven topics showed significant topic distribution (χ˛ = 186.4, p < 0.001). Autonomy and residency cohesiveness were the most frequently mentioned topics, each making up 17.5% of impressions over the three cycles. Work-life balance was next at 15.4%, while miscellaneous topics, including VA rotations and research opportunities, accounted for 16.5%. Faculty support (13.3%) and case diversity (12.4%) were also notable topics. Hospital sites had the fewest mentions (7.3%). Figure 1 illustrates impression topic breakdown.
CONCLUSIONS: The analysis highlights key attributes that urology residency applicants value: autonomy, resident cohesion, and work-life balance. These findings can inform program directors looking to align their information sessions with applicant priorities. Future research should explore whether the topics mentioned online remain an important indicator of success and satisfaction for applicants as they move through residency.
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