title: Choosing a fellow or fellowship: a survey of pediatric otolaryngologists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The numbers of pediatric otolaryngology fellowship programs and applicants have increased over the past 5 years. However, the qualities desired in programs and applicants have not been explored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors that fellowship program directors and applicants believe to be most important in choosing a fellow and the factors most important to fellowship applicants in choosing a program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study using an anonymous online survey of 2012 pediatric otolaryngology fellowship program directors and applicants. Respondents were asked to rank a list of 10 qualities from most to least important for judging the strength of a fellowship applicant. Applicants also assessed the importance of factors in choosing a fellowship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rank of each factor by members of each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two of 47 applicants (68%) and 15 of 31 fellowship directors (48%) completed the survey. For applicants, the most important factors when choosing a fellowship program were gaining strong experience in airway management and otology, faculty reputation, and location, whereas Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation, fellowship longevity, and salary were less important. For choosing an applicant, applicants indicated that the interview, prior applicant knowledge (trusted recommendation), and letters of recommendation, sequentially, should be given the greatest weight. Directors reported that they used the same top 3 factors to rank applicants, but knowledge or trusted recommendation of the applicant ranked first. Applicants who successfully matched interviewed at (mean, 9.5 vs 3.0; P = .003), applied at (mean, 11.6 vs 4.3; P = .02), and ranked (mean, 8.3 vs 2.3; P < .001) more fellowship programs than those who did not. United States Medical Licensing Examination scores higher than 230 and AΩA membership status did not significantly affect fellowship match.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personal knowledge or a trusted colleague's recommendation may be the most important determinant when pediatric otolaryngology fellowship programs choose an applicant. When fellows choose a program, the opportunity to gain surgical experience in both otology and airway management is crucial, but ACGME accreditation status seems less important. Successful applicants ranked and interviewed at more fellowship programs than nonmatching applicants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Preciado
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Ravindra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elluru
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ishman
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kerschner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
authors.forename: Gresham T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
authors.forename: Cecille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sulman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007586:Job Application; D008297:Male; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010560:Personnel Selection; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014481:United States