Interviewing Experience and Program Ratings Among Applicants to Three Community Hospital-Based Family Medicine Residency Programs
Michael Malone, Omar Irfan, Salman Muhammad Soomar, Muhammad Nausherwan Khan, Nabiha Malik, Matthew Moran, Erum Azhar, Abdul WaheedIntroduction
Understanding applicant priorities has become increasingly important for effective recruitment and program development. Given the diversity of family medicine residency (FMR) programs, the research question of this study was to determine which factors influence applicants’ Rank Order List (ROL) decisions across multiple community-based programs, and how do these preferences change over successive match cycles.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among candidates applying to three community hospital-based FMR programs in the US. Applicants who interviewed during National Residency Match Program (NRMP) cycles from 2019 to 2023 were invited to complete a pre-validated electronic questionnaire assessing pre-interview, interview, and post-interview experiences anonymously. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, were used to summarize responses, and no inferential statistical tests were performed. Response patterns over time were described by comparing proportions across years and estimating percentage differences. Data analysis was performed using statistical software, and findings were presented using tables and line graphs.
Results
Seven hundred and twenty-five (55.13%) of 1,315 FMR applicants across three programs completed the survey. At Adventist Health, most participants rated Happiness of Residents (87.50%) and Interaction with Faculty (80.36%) as extremely important. Positive culture (22.22%) and Comprehensive learning (20%) were reported as key strengths. At Tidelands Health, participants reported Culture of Program (83.76-93.26%), Focus on wellness (66.67-82.61%), and Flexibility of the program (62.25-77.17%) as extremely important during recent years. Most of the applicants to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, during 2022-2024, described Interaction with Faculty (65.22-74.47%), Culture of Program (74.47-84.78%), Curriculum/Clinical opportunities (73.91-78.18%), as extremely important.
Conclusion
FMR applicants consistently reported prioritizing program culture, resident satisfaction, faculty interactions, and wellness-related factors over specific curricular components when evaluating programs. The findings suggest that emphasizing the overall training environment and applicant experience may better align recruitment efforts with applicant priorities.