Abstract
Purpose :
Online resources have been determined to influence fellowship decisions among new physicians. As ophthalmology fellowship applications continue to increase, the internet remains a critical tool for applicants to make informed choices given financial and time constraints inherent in the fellowship application process. The availability and content of cornea fellowships has not been previously studied, and analysis of current online fellowship content could provide insight into the availability and transparency of data on cornea fellowships.
Methods :
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on fellowship program websites and San Francisco Match (SF Match) descriptions of all Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) accredited cornea & external disease fellowship programs. Each program was evaluated for key online recruitment content by two independent reviewers. Criteria evaluated include surgeries performed, surgical numbers, mentors, alumni, fellowship schedule, and compensation. Programs were assessed for the presence of a dedicated website, website section, or SF Match description for the cornea fellowship, with each program scored on the presence or absence of the key content criteria described above.
Results :
Of the 49 AUPO-accredited cornea fellowships, 45 (91.8%) had websites, while 3 of the remaining 4 programs had descriptions within SF Match. Program content varied widely among fellowships, with programs averaging 3.1 ± 1.6 of the eight criteria evaluated. Most programs (81.6%) listed descriptions of procedures performed by fellows, yet fewer (40.8%) provided surgical numbers. Core faculty were listed for most fellowships (85.7%), but all other assessed criteria were listed much less frequently including compensation (26.5%), call schedule (22.4%), alumni (20.4%), vacation benefits (18.4%) and fellowship schedule (12.2%).
Conclusions :
While most cornea fellowships have online content, less than half include crucial information deemed important by applicants including compensation, call schedule, and surgical numbers. This heterogeneity in online fellowship information emphasizes the need for standardization of essential information on cornea fellowships, as applicants rely on already limited resources to make “informed” decisions prior to applying. Improvements in online information on cornea fellowship programs may assist applicants in identifying programs that align best with their career goals.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.