The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience
Purpose: To evaluate the process of applying to orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships from the applicant’s perspective, with a focus on number of program applications, interviews, interview day importance, and financial burden. Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all orthopa...
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2021-04-01
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doaj-b6cf37eeeca84d9582f15930e7a56a9b2021-06-07T06:53:42ZengElsevierArthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation2666-061X2021-04-0132e335e341The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant ExperienceTyler Zeoli, B.A.0Matthew L. Ashton, B.S.1Symone M. Brown, M.P.H.2Eric McCarty, M.D.3Mary K. Mulcahey, M.D.4Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LouisianaTulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LouisianaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, New Orleans, LouisianaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New Orleans, Louisiana; Address correspondence to Mary K. Mulcahey, M.D., 1430 Tulane Ave., #8632, New Orleans, LA 70112.Purpose: To evaluate the process of applying to orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships from the applicant’s perspective, with a focus on number of program applications, interviews, interview day importance, and financial burden. Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all orthopaedic surgery residents who applied to orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships in the United States in 2016 and 2017. The survey contained 26 questions, with 10 pertaining to applicant demographics, accolades, and examination scores. A follow up e-mail was distributed at 2 and 4 weeks to increase participation. Results: The survey was distributed to 453 sports medicine fellowship applicants; 148 (34.1%) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 130 (87.8%) were male and 18 (12.2%) were female. When analyzing United States Medical Licensing Examination scores, respondents who scored above a 251 on Step 2 CK were more likely to receive more than 20 interviews compared with those who scored lower (P = .013). Previous collegiate or professional athlete status did not influence the number of interviews received. In total, 94 of 147 (64.0%) respondents applied to more than 20 programs, and 73 respondents (49.7%) attended between 11 and 15 interviews. The majority of respondents spent between $4001 and $6000 (49; 33.1%) throughout the application process. Interaction with faculty and case volume/complexity were the most important factors in ranking programs. Conclusions: The majority of orthopaedic surgery residents pursue at least 1 year of fellowship training following residency, with sports medicine being one of the most popular specialties. The application process for sports medicine fellowships is complex, competitive, and a financial burden for applicants. Most applicants apply to more than 20 programs, spend between $4000 and $6,000 over the course of the application process, and value faculty interaction and case volume/complexity over other factors associated with a program. Clinical Relevance: As other surgical fellowships have detailed their application process from the applicant's perspective, there remains a need for increased transparency of the sports medicine fellowship application in order to offer additional insight and guidance for future applicants.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666061X20301541 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Tyler Zeoli, B.A. Matthew L. Ashton, B.S. Symone M. Brown, M.P.H. Eric McCarty, M.D. Mary K. Mulcahey, M.D. |
spellingShingle |
Tyler Zeoli, B.A. Matthew L. Ashton, B.S. Symone M. Brown, M.P.H. Eric McCarty, M.D. Mary K. Mulcahey, M.D. The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation |
author_facet |
Tyler Zeoli, B.A. Matthew L. Ashton, B.S. Symone M. Brown, M.P.H. Eric McCarty, M.D. Mary K. Mulcahey, M.D. |
author_sort |
Tyler Zeoli, B.A. |
title |
The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience |
title_short |
The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience |
title_full |
The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience |
title_fullStr |
The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Application Process: An Analysis of the Applicant Experience |
title_sort |
orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship application process: an analysis of the applicant experience |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation |
issn |
2666-061X |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Purpose: To evaluate the process of applying to orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships from the applicant’s perspective, with a focus on number of program applications, interviews, interview day importance, and financial burden. Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all orthopaedic surgery residents who applied to orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships in the United States in 2016 and 2017. The survey contained 26 questions, with 10 pertaining to applicant demographics, accolades, and examination scores. A follow up e-mail was distributed at 2 and 4 weeks to increase participation. Results: The survey was distributed to 453 sports medicine fellowship applicants; 148 (34.1%) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 130 (87.8%) were male and 18 (12.2%) were female. When analyzing United States Medical Licensing Examination scores, respondents who scored above a 251 on Step 2 CK were more likely to receive more than 20 interviews compared with those who scored lower (P = .013). Previous collegiate or professional athlete status did not influence the number of interviews received. In total, 94 of 147 (64.0%) respondents applied to more than 20 programs, and 73 respondents (49.7%) attended between 11 and 15 interviews. The majority of respondents spent between $4001 and $6000 (49; 33.1%) throughout the application process. Interaction with faculty and case volume/complexity were the most important factors in ranking programs. Conclusions: The majority of orthopaedic surgery residents pursue at least 1 year of fellowship training following residency, with sports medicine being one of the most popular specialties. The application process for sports medicine fellowships is complex, competitive, and a financial burden for applicants. Most applicants apply to more than 20 programs, spend between $4000 and $6,000 over the course of the application process, and value faculty interaction and case volume/complexity over other factors associated with a program. Clinical Relevance: As other surgical fellowships have detailed their application process from the applicant's perspective, there remains a need for increased transparency of the sports medicine fellowship application in order to offer additional insight and guidance for future applicants. |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666061X20301541 |
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