An Evaluation of the Content of Canadian Radiology Fellowship Websites

Abstract

PurposeProspective radiology fellows utilize the internet to apply for radiology fellowship programs. The aim of this study was to analyze the online content of Canadian radiology fellowship websites. MethodsThe content of all active Canadian radiology fellowship websites were evaluated using 30 criteria in the following domains: application, recruitment, education and research, clinical work and benefits. Fellowships without websites were excluded from the study. The prevalence of assessed elements was compared to geography and Canadian medical school ranking. ResultsWe identified 107 active Canadian radiology fellowship programmes, of which 102 university fellowships (95.3%) had dedicated fellowship websites available for analysis. Of these 102 programs, the median score was 13/30 (43.0%). Websites of fellowship programs affiliated with top ranked medical schools contained more of the assessed criteria than middle and lower ranked schools (17.0 vs 13.0 vs 9.0, p < 0.0001)). Geographical difference was identified across Canada with Atlantic and Central Canada fellowship programs having significantly more criteria than Western programs (15.5 vs 16.0 vs 10.0, p < 0.001). ConclusionsMost Canadian radiology fellowship websites are devoid of content pertinent to prospective radiology fellows. Addressing deficiencies in online content may assist programs to inform and recruit residents into radiology fellowship programs.