title: Impact of Doximity Residency Rankings on Emergency Medicine Applicant Rank Lists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigates the impact of the Doximity rankings on the rank list choices made by residency applicants in emergency medicine (EM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We sent an 11-item survey by email to all students who applied to EM residency programs at four different institutions representing diverse geographical regions. Students were asked questions about their perception of Doximity rankings and how it may have impacted their rank list decisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 58% of 1,372 opened electronic surveys. This study found that a majority of medical students applying to residency in EM were aware of the Doximity rankings prior to submitting rank lists (67%). One-quarter of these applicants changed the number of programs and ranks of those programs when completing their rank list based on the Doximity rankings (26%). Though the absolute number of programs changed on the rank lists was small, the results demonstrate that the EM Doximity rankings impact applicant decision-making in ranking residency programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While applicants do not find the Doximity rankings to be important compared to other factors in the application process, the Doximity rankings result in a small change in residency applicant ranking behavior. This unvalidated ranking, based principally on reputational data rather than objective outcome criteria, thus has the potential to be detrimental to students, programs, and the public. We feel it important for specialties to develop consensus around measurable training outcomes and provide freely accessible metrics for candidate education.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Laura R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Hopson
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Sorabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khandelwal
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Fiona E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Gallahue
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Aimee M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rolston
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Santen
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D034742:Electronic Mail; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007586:Job Application; D008297:Male; D010560:Personnel Selection; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States