(A1022) Perceptions of Research Fellowships for Otolaryngology Residency Applicants: A Survey of Program Directors

Introduction: The otolaryngology residency match is one of the most competitive medical specialties in the National Resident Matching Program each year with a match rate of ~74%. The trend for the total number of research products for matched applicants continues to rise, which may be due to increasing number of applicants delaying graduation to pursue a research fellowship, however there are costs associated with these programs, and it is unclear how it may affect a candidate’s application. The purpose of this study is to understand program directors' opinions of how they view fellowships in regard to an applicant’s competitiveness.

Methods: Emails were obtained for Program Directors and Assistant Program Directors (PD and APDs) of accredited Otolaryngology residency programs. The survey contained multiple choice, Likert-scale, short answer, and free response questions regarding opinions about research fellowships.

Results: A total of 39 respondents completed the survey (163 surveys sent, response rate 24%). On average, PD and APDs only recommend that 15% of students complete a research fellowship. Overall, 72% acknowledged downsides to completing a fellowship, such as financial considerations and delayed graduation. Most respondents (90%) believe that applicants take a research year to increase their competitiveness. Research years were felt to be more worthwhile for applicants without a home residency program (78%). Qualitative analysis of free responses found 8 negative comments, which largely criticized applicants feeling the need to complete a fellowship to obtain a high number of research products to successfully match. Other responses included 2 positive and 3 mixed comments emphasizing that fellowships are an opportunity for those truly interested in research.

Conclusions: Overall, perceptions of research fellowships were mixed. Fellowships provide benefits for those wanting to truly pursue academic research careers, but they may carry downsides if only completed to increase residency competitiveness and if applicants are less productive than anticipated.