title: Radiology resident recruitment: A study of the impact of web-based information and interview day activities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Residency recruitment is a critical and expensive process. A program's Web site may improve recruitment, but little is known about how applicants use program sites or what constitutes optimal content. The importance of an interview day and interactions with a program's residents has been described, but candidate preferences for various activities and schedules have not been widely reported. We investigated contemporary use and perceived utility of information provided on radiology program Web sites, as well as preferences for the interview day experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an anonymous cross-sectional survey, we studied 111 candidates who were interviewed between November 1, 2012 and January 19, 2013 for a diagnostic radiology residency position at our institution. Participation in this institutional review board-approved study was entirely voluntary, and no identifying information was collected. Responses were sealed and not analyzed until after the match.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 70 candidates returned a completed survey (63% response rate). Optimal content considered necessary for a "complete" Web site was identified. The most important factor in deciding where to apply was geographical connection to a program. "AuntMinnie" was the most popular source of program information on social media. Candidates overwhelmingly preferred one-on-one faculty interviews but had no preference between a Saturday and weekday schedule. The ideal interview experience should include a "meet and greet" with residents off campus and a personal interview with the program director. The overall "feel" or "personality" of the program was critical to a candidate's rank order decision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings offer insight into what factors make programs appealing to radiology applicants. This information will be useful to medical educators engaged in career counseling and recruitment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Electronic address: deloneylindaa@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Deloney
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Perrot
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Shelly Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lensing
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Kedar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jambhekar
mesh_terms: D001131:Arkansas; D002321:Career Choice; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011871:Radiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Internet; Radiology residency; graduate medical education; recruitment