Identifying inaccuracies on emergency medicine residency applications.
BACKGROUND
Previous trials have showed a 10-30% rate of inaccuracies on applications to individual residency programs. No studies have attempted to corroborate this on a national level. Attempts by residency programs to diminish the frequency of inaccuracies on applications have not been reported. We seek to clarify the national incidence of inaccuracies on applications to emergency medicine residency programs.


METHODS
This is a multi-center, single-blinded, randomized, cohort study of all applicants from LCME accredited schools to involved EM residency programs. Applications were randomly selected to investigate claims of AOA election, advanced degrees and publications. Errors were reported to applicants' deans and the NRMP.


RESULTS
Nine residencies reviewed 493 applications (28.6% of all applicants who applied to any EM program). 56 applications (11.4%, 95%CI 8.6-14.2%) contained at least one error. Excluding "benign" errors, 9.8% (95% CI 7.2-12.4%), contained at least one error. 41% (95% CI 35.0-47.0%) of all publications contained an error. All AOA membership claims were verified, but 13.7% (95%CI 4.4-23.1%) of claimed advanced degrees were inaccurate. Inter-rater reliability of evaluations was good. Investigators were reluctant to notify applicants' dean's offices and the NRMP.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the largest study to date of accuracy on application for residency and the first such multi-centered trial. High rates of incorrect data were found on applications. This data will serve as a baseline for future years of the project, with emphasis on reporting inaccuracies and warning applicants of the project's goals.
Katz
Eric D
ED
Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA. KATZE@MSNOTES.WUSTL.EDU
Shockley
Lee
L
Kass
Lawrence
L
Howes
David
D
Tupesis
Janis P
JP
Weaver
Christopher
C
Sayan
Osman R
OR
Hogan
Victoria
V
Begue
Jason
J
Vrocher
Diamond
D
Frazer
Jackie
J
Evans
Timothy
T
Hern
Gene
G
Riviello
Ralph
R
Rivera
Antonio
A
Kinoshita
Keith
K
Ferguson
Edward
E
D000328:Adult; D003406:Credentialing / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D008192:Deception; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D007586:Job Application; D028743:Professional Misconduct / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011996:Records / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States