FREIDA Research Articles

Evaluation of Adult Neurology Residency Program Websites.

Neurology residency program websites often serve as the initial face of a program for prospective residents early in the application process. We evaluated adult neurology residency program websites to determine their comprehensiveness to identify areas for improvement. A list of adult neurology residency programs in the United States was compiled using information on the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) websites. A total of 24 website criteria covering educational, recruitment, and compensation content were assessed for comprehensiveness. Programs' website comprehensiveness was compared based on geographic location, program affiliation (community and/or academic), program size, and program/hospital Doximity and U.S. News & World Report rankings. A total of 153 US adult neurology residency program websites were evaluated. Fewer than one-half of program websites were accessible with a direct link from either FREIDA or ERAS. The number of residency program websites reporting each content criterion varied greatly. Mean percentage of overall website comprehensiveness among neurology residency programs was 65.9%. Northeast location, academic affiliation, larger programs, and top-ranked programs on Doximity were associated with greater program website comprehensiveness. There is opportunity for all neurology residency programs to improve their websites to provide prospective applicants with a more informed and comprehensive perspective of programs during the application process. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:637-642.

A Qualitative Appraisal of Neurotology Fellowship Websites.

To assess the accessibility and breadth of online information regarding neurotology fellowship programs by appraising individual fellowship websites as well as two popular online databases. The American Neurotology Society Program Information Page (ANSPIP), the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA), and three online search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) were assessed for accessibility to individual fellowship websites. Each program's ANSPIP data sheet and fellowship-specific website were then evaluated for the presence of 18 characteristics of interest to the neurotology fellowship applicant. All three search engines yielded 23 (96%) Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited neurotology fellowship websites. Searching "Neurotology fellowships" in Google, Yahoo, and Bing required exploring up to nine pages of search results to identify all of the ACGME-accredited program-specific websites. Direct links to program websites were found on 12 (55%) and 3 (13%) of the ANSPIP and FREIDA fellowship pages, respectively. Of the 18 characteristics of interest, the ANSPIP data sheet and individual program websites on average delineated 8.0 and 7.8 characteristics, respectively. Ninety-one percent of fellowship websites included program coordinator information, general program description, and breadth of surgical exposure. In contrast, work/life balance, postfellowship placement, and current fellow(s) were least commonly displayed (4%, 9%, 13% respectively). One-hundred percent of ANSPIP data sheets included program coordinator information, number of fellows, and affiliated hospital(s), whereas none of the pages included selection criteria, application requirements, description of location, or work/life balance. Although most neurotology fellowship programs have websites or ANSPIP data sheets, many of them lack information that has been previously demonstrated to be valued by applicants. Furthermore, incongruence of information between these sources may lead to confusion, applicant stress, and reflect poorly on fellowship programs. Perhaps a standardized list of ACGME-required data points to be posted on websites would facilitate the application process.

Education on the Social Determinants of Mental Health in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowships.

This article describes survey results from child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) fellowship program directors regarding attitudes of their programs' capacity to effectively educate fellows on the social determinants of mental health and program directors' perceived importance of doing so. A survey asking about six topics within the social determinants of mental health was disseminated to all CAP program directors with email addresses found in the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) (n = 134). Data were exported using the Qualtrics survey platform. Fifty-three program directors (40%) responded to the survey. Overall, 98% of program directors felt education on the social determinants of mental health was "essential" for fellowship training, but there were significant differences in perceived relative importance and effectiveness of education provided across topics. Familial factors were rated as significantly more important than structural, historical, and economic factors. Structural and historical factors were viewed as being taught less effectively than other factors. Educational, structural, and historical factors and neighborhood factors were allotted significantly less instructional time than familial factors. While there is near-universal consensus that social determinants of mental health education are critical for fellowship training, program directors feel that social determinants of mental health topics differ in importance and are taught at varying levels of effectiveness. These findings highlight the need for intra-institutional and or inter-institutional collaboration for social determinants of mental health educational content development if CAP programs are to prepare trainees to best serve their most vulnerable patients.

Influences for Gender Disparity in Academic Family Medicine in North American Medical Schools.

BackgroundWomen physicians continue to comprise the minority of leadership roles in Academic Family Medicine (AFM) faculty across North American medical schools. Our study quantified the current state of gender disparity by analyzing academic position, leadership ranking, and research productivity.MethodsWe generated a database for 6,746 AFM faculty members. Gender and academic profiles were obtained for 2,892 academic ranks and 1,706 leadership roles by searching faculty listings enlisted in Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) and Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). To measure research productivity, we obtained bibliometric data: h-index, citations, and tenure from 2,383 faculty members using Elsevier’s SCOPUS archives. Data analysis and h-index were formulated using Stata version 14.2 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX).ResultsOur results indicated that women hold 46.11% (3,110/6,746) of faculty positions. The proportional composition decreased with increasing academic ranking (49.84% assistant, 46.78% associate, and 41.5% full professor). The same decreasing trend was demonstrated with leadership rank (57.14% minor leadership, 47.65% second-in-command, and 36.61 first-in-command). Compared to their gender counterparts, women in AFM demonstrated lower publication productivity as measured by citation number (p=0.04) and years of study (p=0.008). The final prediction equation model after multivariable analyses included gender, publications, citations, country of graduation, and years of active research (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe composition of academic family medicine faculty members included in this study demonstrated gender disparity. Inclusivity initiatives and policies to tackle the issue of female retention, promotion, and recruitment need to be further explored.

Content Evaluation of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Websites.

Prospective Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) applicants commonly view residency program websites to make informed decisions about where to submit their applications. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review of the availability and accessibility of online content for PM&R residency programs. To evaluate the comprehensiveness of PM&R residency websites to inform prospective applicants about the information readily available to them and identify deficient areas for program directors to address. Cross-sectional analysis of residency program websites using quantitative and descriptive statistics. World Wide Web (Internet). 87 PM&R civilian residency program websites listed on the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA). The presence or absence of 25 predetermined criteria on residency program websites. The individual residency program websites had a mean ± SD of 12.3 ± 4.3 (49.1%) of the 25 criteria sought. The programs ranged from having as few as one to as many as 19 of the 25 criteria. Twenty programs had 9 or fewer criteria, 35 programs had 10 to 14 criteria, 31 programs had 15 to 18 criteria, and one program had 19 criteria available online. No PM&R residency website had all 25 criteria. There was a significant association between a program's Doximity ranking as top 20 or not and the citation of published research projects by faculty on a PM&R website (P = .026), but the other 24 criteria had no significant associations. Most PM&R residency websites currently do not include comprehensive information about their programs for prospective applicants.

Gender Differences Among Academic Pediatric Radiology Faculty in the United States and Canada

It is currently unknown whether efforts in recent years to create equal opportunities for female faculty in academic medicine have succeeded. We looked at faculty members in academic pediatric radiology departments across the United States and Canada to assess for evidence of gender disparities and differences in academic performance between males and females. The analysis included diagnostic radiology programs across the United States and Canada, as specified by the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA Online) and the Canadian Resident Matching Service website. The Scopus database was used to retrieve the H-index, number of publications, and number of citations for each faculty member. We examined the distribution of male and female faculty members across geographical regions, academic ranks, and leadership roles. Academic performance was also compared. Across all regions and academic ranks, disparities exist between the number of male and female faculty members. The greatest disparity was found amongst the professor rank, where more than 70% of positions were occupied by males. Female professors were found to demonstrate similar levels of academic performance compared to their male counterparts, although this parity was not observed amongst assistant and associate professors. Women occupied almost half (46.6%) of the total academic pediatric radiology workforce, despite having been previously shown to make up only 21% of radiologists. However, gender disparities currently exist among academic pediatric radiology faculty, with a significantly higher percentage of men in pediatric radiology faculty positions. Women, however, currently occupy a greater percentage of leadership positions compared to men, even though the majority of senior academic ranks are held by men.

Residency Program Factors Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Internal Medicine Interns: A Prospective Cohort Study.

To investigate the associations between program-level variables such as organizational structure, workload, and learning environment and residents' development of depressive symptoms during internship. Between 2012 and 2015, 1,276 internal medicine interns from 54 U.S. residency programs completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) before internship, and then quarterly throughout the internship. The training environment was assessed via a resident questionnaire and average weekly work hours. The authors gathered program structural variables from the American Medical Association Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA online) and program research rankings from Doximity. Associations between program-level variables and change in depressive symptoms were determined using stepwise linear regression modeling. Mean program PHQ-9 scores increased from 2.3 at baseline to 5.9 during internship (mean difference 3.6; SD 1.4; P < .001), with the mean increase ranging from -0.3 to 8.8 (interquartile range 1.1) among included programs. In multivariable models, faculty feedback (β = -0.37; 95% CI: -0.62, -0.12; P = .005), learning experience in inpatient rotations (β = -0.28; 95% CI: -0.54, -0.02; P = .030), work hours (β = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.56; P = .002), and research ranking position (β = -0.25; 95% CI: -0.47, -0.03; P = .036) were associated with change in depressive symptoms. Poor faculty feedback and inpatient learning experience, long work hours, and high institutional research rankings were associated with increased depressive symptoms among internal medicine interns. These factors may be potential targets for interventions to improve wellness and mental health among these professionals.

Gender Disparity in Academic Neurosurgery.

BackgroundIn the 1960s, less than 10% of medical school graduates were women. Today, almost half of all medical school graduates are women. Despite the significant rise in female medical school graduates, there continues to be a large gender gap in most subspecialties, particularly surgical subspecialties such as neurosurgery.ObjectiveThe purpose of our study was to assess the factors contributing to differences in the academic ranks of male and female staff in academic neurosurgery programs in Canada and the United States (US).MethodsData about women in academic neurosurgery was collected from a number of sources, including Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA), Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) FRIEDA, ACGME, CaRMS, Pubmed, and Scopus, to create a database of all neurosurgeons in the US and Canada. The analysis included neurosurgeons in academic and leadership ranks and also the H index, citations, publications, citations per year, and publications per year.ResultsWomen represent only 12% of neurosurgeons in the US and Canada. When gender is further analyzed by academic appointment, women represent just over 12% of neurosurgeons at the assistant and associate professor levels (15.44% and 13.27%, respectively) but significantly less at the full professor level (5.84%). Likewise, only 7.45% of women hold first-in command leadership positions while 4.69% hold second-in-command positions within their institutions.ConclusionsThe existing data shows that women are significantly under-represented in academic neurosurgery. Lack of role models, experience, limited scientific output, and aspirations of a controlled lifestyle could be the potential contributing factors.

Perceptions of nephrology among medical students and internal medicine residents: a national survey among institutions with nephrology exposure

BackgroundFewer trainees are choosing to pursue nephrology. Only 60.1% of positions filled in the 2018 fellowship Match, which is concerning given the rising prevalence of end-stage kidney disease. Identifying factors influential in career choices is critical to inform focused approaches to recruit qualified applicants.MethodsTo understand perceptions of nephrology and assess factors influential in specialty choice among early career trainees, an anonymous survey was distributed to upper-level medical students and internal medicine residents at programs identified through the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and American Medical Association’s Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA).ResultsOf 4199 recipients, 644 (15.3%) participants responded, including 315 upper-level medical students, 308 residents, and three chief residents from 30 institutions. An interest in the subject was the most critical factor in selecting a specialty (92%). Other key factors included a suitable work-life balance (73%), access to mentors (70%), and subject exposure (66%). Lack of interest was the most frequently-cited reason to forgo a nephrology fellowship (79%), followed by concerns regarding remuneration (43%), work-life balance (39%), and subject exposure (32%). In free-text responses, several participants described frustration with managing patients on hemodialysis and desired combined training with specialties such as critical care. Respondents who had considered nephrology at any point cited an interest in physiology or interface with a mentor as key driving factors.ConclusionsA lack of interest in and exposure to the subject, perceptions of poor earning potential and patient nonadherence, and concerns regarding work-life balance were influential in participants’ decisions to forgo nephrology training. Incorporating novel educational tools and broadening the scope of the nephrology elective, highlighting ongoing areas of clinical and research innovation, expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and procedural skills, and cultivating strategies to reduce burnout may be useful areas on which to focus future recruitment efforts.

Gender Differences in Leadership Positions Among Academic Nuclear Medicine Specialists in Canada and the United States.

Despite equal representation of genders among medical students, women continue to be underrepresented in the field of academic diagnostic radiology. These differences are manifest across subspecialties in academic medicine and even in diagnostic radiology. There are limited data available addressing diversity among nuclear medicine specialists. Thus, our primary objective was to compare gender representation in academic and leadership positions among faculty members in nuclear medicine in Canada and the United States. Our secondary objective was to study the influences to account for the existing disparity in academic nuclear medicine. Using the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) and Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), we created a database of faculty members in nuclear medicine. For assessment of academic performance, the h-index, number of publications, number of citations, and years of active research were extracted using Scopus. The academic ranks of 237 faculty members were used for analysis; of this group, 16.95% of associate professors were female. Women were less frequently represented in higher academic ranks, and women were also less frequently represented in leadership ranks (13.6% female vs 86.4% male). The h-index was comparable across genders. Female nuclear medicine specialists are underrepresented in academic and leadership positions compared with their male counterparts. This difference in numbers is unlikely to be because of academic performance given that both genders had comparable academic performance metrics in our study. The results show the need for devising strategies to promote diversity in academic and leadership positions across nuclear medicine specialists.

Analysis of Factors Related to the Sex Diversity of Orthopaedic Residency Programs in the United States

Women are underrepresented as applicants to and trainees of orthopaedic surgery residencies. Factors that attract women to or deter them from orthopaedic surgery have been previously published; however, there has been no analysis of the programs that train high percentages of female residents and the factors that differentiate them from programs that have low percentages of women. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare these factors between programs with high and low percentages of female residents. Information on each orthopaedic surgery residency program listed in the American Medical Association (AMA) Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) was collected utilizing residency program web sites, an online survey distributed to residency program coordinators, and a follow-up telephone survey. These included data on resident and faculty demographic characteristics and residency program curriculum structure. The prevalence of factors in programs with the highest percentages of female residents was compared with those with lower percentages. Data were obtained from 143 (97.3%) of 147 programs, with 3,406 residents identified. Only 485 residents (14.2%) were female. Programs with more female residents had more female faculty members per program (p = 0.001), a higher percentage of faculty who were female (p < 0.001), more female associate professors (p < 0.001), more women in leadership positions (p < 0.001), and a higher prevalence of women's sports medicine programs (p = 0.03); were more commonly listed in the Top 40 for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding (p = 0.03) and U.S. News & World Report rankings (p = 0.02); and were more likely to offer a research year (p = 0.045). There are greater percentages of female residents at orthopaedic residency programs with more female faculty members, more women in leadership positions, a women's sports medicine program, and the option to do a research year. Departmental and national leaders may consider these factors when efforts are undertaken to enhance the recruitment of female applicants and improve female interest in orthopaedic surgery as a specialty.

Influences for Gender Disparity in Academic Psychiatry in the United States.

IntroductionAcademic undertakings, including research, lead to career progression. However, the career paths of female psychiatrists appear to diverge significantly from that of their male counterparts. This article reviews the pervasiveness of the trend of women being less likely to pursue active research in psychiatry. In addition, we examine the correlation between academic rank and research productivity.MethodsWe searched the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) to identify training programs for psychiatry. A total of 5234 psychiatrists met our inclusion criteria. The gender, academic rank, research work, and h-index of faculty members were compared. The ratio of women reaching senior ranks as compared to men was also calculated. The Scopus database was used to determine the h-index of the individuals included in this study. Data analysis was done with SPSS 22.0 Release 2013 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used where required, with the P-value set at less than 0.05.ResultsIn our study sample, 2181 (42%) of the psychiatrists were women. However, according to the information obtained from the websites of 23 programs, few women reached higher ranks, full professorship, or positions such as the chairperson of a program, and only 9% of women achieved the designation of chairperson of the psychiatry department, with men representing the other 91%. Higher academic rank correlated with higher h-index. A statistically-significant difference between the genders in terms of h-index was found for the assistant professor rank as well. However, this difference was not observed at the level of an associate professor.ConclusionsDespite adequate representation of women in the academic workforce in psychiatry, there appears to be a discrepancy in the research productivity of the two genders. This study highlights the need for targeted interventions to address gender disparities in academic psychiatry.

Academic musculoskeletal radiology: influences for gender disparity.

Research productivity is one of the few quintessential gauges that North American academic radiology departments implement to determine career progression. The rationale of this study is to quantify the relationship of gender, research productivity, and academic advancements in the musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology to account for emerging trends in workforce diversity. Radiology residency programs enlisted in the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA), Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) and International Skeletal Society (ISS) were searched for academic faculty to generate the database for gender and academic profiles of MSK radiologists. Bibliometric data was collected using Elsevier's SCOPUS archives, and analyzed using Stata version 14.2. Among 274 MSK radiologists in North America, 190 (69.34%) were men and 84 (30.66%) were women, indicating a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 6.34; pvalue = 0.042). The available number of female assistant professors (n = 50) was more than half of the male assistant professors (n = 88), this ratio however, plummeted at higher academic ranks, with only one-fourth of women (n = 11) professors compared to men (n = 45). The male MSK radiologist had 1.31 times the odds of having a higher h-index, keeping all other variables constant. The trend of gender disparity exists in MSK radiology with significant underrepresentation of women in top tiers of academic hierarchy. Even with comparable h-indices, at the lower academic ranks, a lesser number of women are promoted relative to their male colleagues. Further studies are needed to investigate the degree of influence research productivity has, in determining academic advancement of MSK radiologists.

Deconstructing the Process of Applying for Away Rotations in Orthopaedic Surgery

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Background: Orthopaedic surgery is among the most competitive specialties available to medical students in the Match and away rotations have proven essential for improving the chance of matching. Many programs utilize the centralized Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) to accept applications; however, participation is variable and programs may have additional requirements outside of the VSAS application. Methods: All ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) orthopaedic surgery residency programs accepting applications for away rotations in 2016 (n=158) were identified using the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) of the American Medical Association (AMA). Application requirements were recorded for all programs as found within the VSAS application portal and program maintained websites. Programs affiliated with the military were excluded (n=8). Results: Of the 150 programs, 124 (83%) accepted applications using VSAS. Programs that participate in VSAS require the main components pre-listed within the application more consistently than non-VSAS schools: photo (VSAS: 95%, non-VSAS: 35%, p&lt;0.001), CV (VSAS: 86%, non-VSAS: 38%, p&lt;0.001), transcript (VSAS: 93%, non-VSAS: 38%, p&lt;0.001), and immunization form (VSAS: 93%, non-VSAS: 81%, p=0.056). Additionally, non-VSAS programs require USMLE score reports (31%), supplemental applications (46%), and a Letter of Good Standing (23%) more often than VSAS participants (USMLE: 6%, separate application: 2%, Letter of Good Standing: 3%). Conclusion: While most orthopaedic residency programs utilize the centralized VSAS to arrange for visiting medical students, there is considerable variability among application requirements for each elective clerkship. As an orthopaedic community, we should work towards streamlining the process by encouraging 100% participation in VSAS, expanding standard requirements, and eliminating extraneous supporting documents.

Who Should Manage Vulvar Disorders? A National Survey of Gynecology and Dermatology Residents [16H

INTRODUCTION: Vulvar disorders are unique, and it is unclear which specialty is responsible for screening the vulva. We sought to survey behaviors, knowledge and comfort of residents in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/Gyn) and dermatology regarding vulvar disease and evaluate differences among programs. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, web-based, national survey of OB/Gyn and dermatology residents. Program coordinator email addresses were obtained from FREIDA Online®. Two separate emails requested coordinators forward the author-designed survey to current residents. RESULTS: Two hundred five surveys were completed: 67% OB/Gyn and 33% dermatology. The majority of both OB/Gyn (84%) and dermatology (77%) residents believed OB/Gyns are responsible for screening the vulva. Most OB/Gyn and dermatology residents reported thoroughly inspecting the vulvar area for lesions (62%), though 19% of dermatology residents reported never examining the vulva. Concerning comfort with managing vulvar lesions, only 2% of the total sample felt “very comfortable”. Regarding training, 53% overall reported this as “adequate”, whereas 4% believed they had “very good” training. One-fifth of OB/Gyn residents were “dissatisfied” with their vulvar disorders training. Most residents correctly identified images of vulvar melanoma (80%), squamous cell carcinoma (68%), and lichen sclerosus (98%). Ob/Gyn residents were more likely to correctly respond to items regarding vulvar melanomas (p=.032), biopsy performance (p &lt; .001), and lichen sclerosus diagnosis (p &lt; .001). CONCLUSION: Both cohorts believed OB/Gyns were the appropriate group to screen the vulva. Nevertheless, dermatologists should be able to and offer to perform this exam if not completed recently. A standardized curriculum regarding vulvar disorders could improve training in both specialties.

Foot and Ankle Fellowship Websites: An Assessment of Accessibility and Quality.

The Internet has been reported to be the first informational resource for many fellowship applicants. The objective of this study was to assess the accessibility of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites and to evaluate the quality of information provided via program websites. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) fellowship databases were accessed to generate a comprehensive list of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs. The databases were reviewed for links to fellowship program websites and compared with program websites accessed from a Google search. Accessible fellowship websites were then analyzed for the quality of recruitment and educational content pertinent to fellowship applicants. Forty-seven orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs were identified. The AOFAS database featured direct links to 7 (15%) fellowship websites with the independent Google search yielding direct links to 29 (62%) websites. No direct website links were provided in the FREIDA database. Thirty-six accessible websites were analyzed for content. Program websites featured a mean 44% (range = 5% to 75%) of the total assessed content. The most commonly presented recruitment and educational content was a program description (94%) and description of fellow operative experience (83%), respectively. There is substantial variability in the accessibility and quality of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites. Recognition of deficits in accessibility and content quality may assist foot and ankle fellowships in improving program information online. Level IV.

Foot and Ankle Fellowship Websites

Category: Other Introduction/Purpose: The Internet has been reported to be the first informational resource for many fellowship applicants. Despite being a popular resource, no accessibility or quality standards exist for fellowship websites. The objective of this study was to assess the accessibility of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites and to evaluate the quality of information provided via program websites. Methods: The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) fellowship databases were accessed to generate a comprehensive list of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs. The databases were reviewed for links to fellowship program websites and compared with program websites accessed from a Google search. Accessible fellowship websites were then analyzed for the quality of recruitment and educational content pertinent to fellowship applicants. Results: Forty-seven orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs were identified. The AOFAS database featured direct links to 7 (15%) fellowship websites with the independent Google search yielding direct links to 29 (62%) websites. No direct website links were provided in the FREIDA database. Thirty-six accessible websites were analyzed for content. Program websites featured a mean 44% (range, 5-75%) of the total assessed content. The most commonly presented recruitment content was a program description featured on 94% of fellowship websites. The most commonly presented educational content was a description of fellow operative experience featured on 83% of websites. Conclusion: There is substantial variability in the accessibility and quality of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites. Comparison of the results of our study with those of similar investigations indicates a paucity of fellowship websites presenting comprehensive program information to applicants. Recognition of deficits in accessibility and content quality may assist foot and ankle fellowships in improving program information online.

Current status of international experiences in general surgery residency programs in the United States.

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to identify, quantify, and characterize the international experiences available for general surgery residents in the general surgery residency programs in the United States (US).MethodsThe Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) database was used to identify all the general surgery residency programs in the US. Each institution was contacted by both e-mail and telephone. Respondents were asked if an international experience was available for residents within their program and, if available, details of the experience were obtained.ResultsA total of 253 general surgery residency programs were identified using the FREIDA database. Eighty-six (34 %) programs were noted to offer an international experience for their residents. A majority are incorporated into the PGY 3 and PGY 4 level of training with a duration of 1–4 weeks. Common locations are evenly distributed among the Americas and Africa and are usually funded through a combination of resident and department funding.ConclusionsUS resident interest in global health is growing along with an increasing demand for surgical care worldwide. This is one of the first studies to identify, quantify, and characterize in detail the international experiences currently available to general surgery residents within the general surgery training programs in the US. These results can help general surgery residency applicants with an interest in global health and also pave the path for residency programs to develop future international experiences.

Evaluating Dermatology Residency Program Websites

Internet resources play an important role in how medical students access informationrelated to residency programs.Evaluating program websites is necessary in order to provide accurate information for applicantsand provide information regarding areas of website improvement for programs. To date, dermatologyresidency websites (D WS) have not been evaluated.This paper evaluates dermatology residency websites based on availability of predefined measures. Using the FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database) Onlinedatabase, authors searched forall accredited dermatology program websites. Eligible programs were identified through the FREIDAOnline database and had a functioning website. Two authors independently extracted data withconsensus or third researcher resolution of differences. This data was accessed and archived fromJuly 15th to July 17th, 2015.Primary outcomes measured were presence of content on education, resident and faculty information,program environment, applicant recruitment, schedule, salary, and website quality evaluated usingan online tool (WooRank.com). Out of 117 accredited dermatology residencies, 115 had functioning webpages. Of these,76.5% (75) had direct links found on the FRIEDA Online database. Most programs containedinformation on education, faculty, program environment, and applicant recruitment. However, websitequality and marketing effectiveness were highly variable; most programs were deemed to needimprovements in the functioning of their webpages. Also, additional information on currentresidents and about potential away rotations were lacking from most websites with only 52.2% (60)and 41.7% (48) of programs providing this content, respectively. A majority of dermatology residency websites contained adequate information on many ofthe factors we evaluated. However, many were lacking in areas that matter to applicants. We hopethis report will encourage dermatology residencyprograms to improve their websites and provide adequate content to attract the top residents fortheir respective programs.

Introduction of Thoracic CT-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration to a Resource-Limited Radiology Department in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

GLOBAL HEALTH AND RADIOLOGY Interest in global health has been on the rise over the past two decades, with a surge of involvement by the medical education community in recent years. In 2010, 30.8% of graduating medical students reported global health experience [1]. Opportunities for participation in international health programs by postgraduate medical trainees in many specialties are many, with 74% of pediatric residency programs, 69% of emergency medicine programs, and 67% of family medicine programs offering international electives according to the AMA’s FREIDA Online database [2]. Diagnostic radiology programs lag behind considerably, with the percentage of programs offering international experience reported at 4% in 2011 [3]. Although organized participation in global health is relatively low for radiology training programs compared with other medical specialties, there is a great need and ample opportunity for a larger presence on the global level. It is estimated that