The Applicant's Perspective on Urology Residency Interviews: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Objective: To better understand what urology applicants look for on interview day and what they care about in selecting a residency program through an analysis of anonymous online posts about the urology interview process.

Methods: We collected 3 years (2016-2018) of comments and posts from the Interview Impressions tab of the Urology Match Google Sheet for 133 urology residencies. Qualitative data analysis was performed using grounded theory methodology.

Results: We identified 6 categories of themes on (1) interview day structure, (2) diverse faculty, (3) program culture, (4) surgical training, (5) research, and (6) program benefits. These themes appeared in comments for 77%-86% of the residency programs except for research which was present for 44% of the programs. The efficiency and structure of interview day are very important. Applicants also care about young and diverse fellowship-trained faculty across a wide breadth of subspecialties. They believe they are able to discern the program culture and collegiality between residents and faculty. Applicants want a balance of surgical and clinical training with a focus on robotics and surgical autonomy. Not all applicants are interested in research but those that are appreciate a strong support system. Finally, additional program benefits and the positives and negatives of the program's location are frequently discussed.

Conclusion: Analysis of anonymous social media posts can help improve the interview process for applicants and programs alike. Programs can also identify areas of improvement for residency training. Our findings provide additional insight towards the ultimate goal of improving the match process.