Selection criteria of residents for residency programs in Kuwait

Selection criteria and match results for postgraduate residency programs: A cross-sectional model from a major academic center in Jordan

Background

With the continuous uptrend in the number of medical student graduates and the limited availability of postgraduate residency positions, the process of selecting the most appropriately qualified candidates to fill these positions remains challenging. This necessitates implementing objectively measured, distinguishing, and transparent selection process. The purpose of this study is to share our model of single-center resident selection for postgraduate residency programs to serve as a guide for other institutions.

Materials and methods

We reviewed the process of residency program selection at our institution. Data were collected about the application process, demographic characteristics, medical school location and GPA, entry exam score, requested specialties, and match results. The proposed selection criteria and their association with the match results were reported. Factors associated with matching with the first two selections were analyzed.

Results

785 physicians applied to fill 96 positions at nineteen residency programs. 443 (56%) were males, 686 (87%) graduated from Jordanian medical schools. Half failed the entry exam and were excluded from competition. Seventy-two out of 96 (75%) matched with either of their first two requested specialties. The highest-in-demand programs were ophthalmology, otolaryngology and dermatology. Although a GPA of more than 80% increased the likelihood of matching with the top two requested specialties, an entry exam score of more than 70% was the main determining factor (AOR 8.7, 95% C.I. 2.4, 31.9).

Conclusions

The selection process for postgraduate residency programs is highly competitive. To avoid selection bias, transparent and objectively measured criteria are applied in the selection model. Clinical performance and medical knowledge reflected by the cumulative GPA and entry exam score are the most significant determinants for acceptance.

The Role of Letters of Recommendation in the Selection Process of Surgical Residents in Canada: A National Survey of Program Directors

OBJECTIVE

Letters of recommendation (LOR) provide valuable information that help in selecting new residents. In this study, we aim to investigate the perceptions of surgical residency program directors (PDs) in Canada on the elements that can affect the strength and value of LOR.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional; survey.

SETTING

A national survey was conducted using an online questionnaire consisting of 2 main sections to collect data from PDs from all surgical subspecialties. The first section included basic background questions about the participant, such as the specialty and experience in selecting resident candidates, whereas the second section was about the elements and characteristics of LOR. Participants were asked to rate the importance of 34 different variables using a Likert scale.

PARTICIPANTS

Surgical PDs in Canada.

RESULTS

Of 122 PDs, 65 (53.3%) participated in the survey. Work ethic (57; 87.7%), interpersonal skills (52; 80.0%), and teamwork (49; 75.4%) were considered very important parts of the LOR by more than three-quarters of the PDs. Thirty-three (50.8%) PDs reported that a familiar author of LOR would always affect their impression regarding the letter. Additionally, 57 (87.7%) and 35 (53.8%) directors thought that LOR are important in evaluating the candidates and can help in predicting the residents' performance during their residency training.

CONCLUSIONS

LOR are important for the selection of new surgical residents in Canada. Information about the candidate's work ethic, interpersonal skills, and teamwork is essential for a good LOR. Familiarity of PDs with authors of LOR could increase the value of the letter.

Perceived barriers towards participation in undergraduate research activities among medical students at Alfaisal University-College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective

BACKGROUND

The importance of undergraduate research (UR) to students is well acknowledged in literature; however, little is known about its perceived barriers. The aim of study is to explore the perceived barriers toward participation in UR activities among students at Alfaisal University-College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

An online, anonymous, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered. A two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the average five-point Likert scale responses between male and female students.

RESULTS

Two-hundred and twenty-one students (n = 221/350) participated in the survey with a 63.1% response rate. The percentage of participation in UR significantly differed by gender (males vs. females: 68.6% vs. 45.4%; p < 0.0005, Chi-square test). The top three barriers toward participation in UR were "lack of time" (77.4%), "lack of formal UR courses in curriculum" (76%) and "lack of UR mentors" (70.1%). Statistically significant differences of means were identified between male and female students regarding the following statements: "lack of supervising research mentors" (p < 0.01), "lack of interest in research" (p < 0.04), "lack of finding same-gender research mentor" (p < 0.00) and "lack of UR opportunities" (p < 0.00).

CONCLUSION

Our results were fairly comparable to the Western studies. Medical educators should carefully look into all UR barriers and consider implementing applicable solutions.

The Student-Authored Biomedical Publications at Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia: a 6-year descriptive analysis

There are limited numbers of studies which comprehensively explored the research publications authored by medical students. To descriptively analyze the student-authored research publications originating from Alfaisal University—College of Medicine (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) over a 6-year period. All student-authored research publications were retrieved from PubMed^® and the College’s publication database. Study inclusion criteria included: (1) at least one medical student author, (2) published and/or accepted in-press PubMed-indexed article from 10 September 2008 to 31 December 2014. Data was transferred to Microsoft Excel Software for descriptive statistical analysis of variable parameters. Seventy-three (n = 73) articles met the study inclusion criteria. They were published by 170 students; the majority were males (79.4 %) and clerkship students (65.9 %). There was a markedly steady increase in number of yearly publications from 1 publication in 2009 to 35 publications by the end of 2014. Fifty (68.5 %), twenty-nine (39.7 %) and thirty-seven (50.7 %) students were first, second and corresponding authors, respectively. The most frequent research areas were clinical science (43.8 %), basic science (23.3 %) and medical education (21.9 %). The most frequent research types were case reports (41.1 %), research articles (32.9 %) and correspondence letters (15.1 %). Fifty-seven (78.1 %) and sixteen (21.9 %) publications took place in local and abroad institutes, respectively. Most publications (71.2 %) had impact factors below 2. The mean ± SD of articles’ impact factors and citations were 3.9 ± 9.9 and 1.9 ± 4.1, respectively. Students demonstrated positive attitudes towards publishing and significantly contributed to the institution’s pool of research publications.

Extracurricular research activities among senior medical students in Kuwait: experiences, attitudes, and barriers

BACKGROUND

Research is the foundation of scientific advancement and improvement in quality of health care, which ensures the good health of the community. The aim of this study is to explore experiences, attitudes, and barriers of medical students in Kuwait University (KU) in regards to extracurricular research.

METHODS

A questionnaire about extracurricular research activities (ie, any research activity that is not part of the required undergraduate curriculum, such as publishing a paper, research elective, etc) was distributed to 175 senior medical students (years 6 and 7). Descriptive and chi-square analyses were used to analyze the responses, considering a P-value of <0.05 as the cut-off level for significance. The main outcome was defined as taking part in any of the extracurricular research activities.

RESULTS

Of the 150 participants (response rate = 85.7%), 26 (17.3%), 68 (45.3%), 52 (34.7%), and 17 (11.3%) had published their required medical school research, presented abstracts in conferences, conducted extracurricular research, and completed a research elective/course, respectively; 99 (66.0%) took part in any of these activities. Participants who read medical journals regularly (81; 54%) reported higher participation in extracurricular research activities than those who did not read journals (P=0.003). Improving the availability of mentors for students' extracurricular research was ranked by the participants as the most important factor to improve their participation in extracurricular research (4.05/5.00).

CONCLUSION

Despite the lack of adequate support, extracurricular research activities among medical students of KU were comparable to students from other countries. Barriers for these activities should be addressed by KU medical educators in order to enhance research activities among the students.