Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Website Content and Accessibility

Evaluation of the Content of Ophthalmology Fellowship Program Web sites

Purpose To assess the availability and content of fellowship program Web sites (FPWs) among ophthalmology subspecialties.

Design This is a cross-sectional study.

Subjects Web sites of all Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology-accredited fellowship programs in five subspecialties (i.e., surgical retina and vitreous; cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery; glaucoma; neuro-ophthalmology; and pediatric ophthalmology).

Methods FPWs were assessed for the presence of 26 key content criteria encompassing program demographics (n = 13), features (n = 10), and social life (n = 3). The presence of each content criterion as well as the content criteria groups were compared across subspecialties.

Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measured is the average percentage of key content criteria present among ophthalmology fellowship Web sites.

Results Among 266 accredited fellowship programs, 240 (90.2%) had Web sites. On average, Web sites reported 14.9 of 26 key content criteria (57.2%), 8.29 of 13 demographic criteria (63.8%), 5.84 of the 10 program features criteria (58.4%), and 0.705 of the 3 social life criteria (23.5%). Significant differences were identified among subspecialties in the presence of program description (p = 0.046), hospital affiliation (p < 0.001), names of current fellows (p = 0.004), case diversity (p = 0.001), and surgical statistics (p = 0.015). The average number of key criteria differed between subspecialties (p < 0.001).

Conclusion There is significant heterogeneity in program fellowship Web site content among ophthalmology subspecialties. Information regarding social life, such as wellness programs and community information, was largely absent across all disciplines. Addressing missing information on ophthalmology FPWs may help optimize program-applicant fit.

Analysis of Applicants' Perspectives of Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship Program Websites

BACKGROUND

Cardiothoracic (CT) surgery fellowship websites help applicants determine where they apply and/or accept an interview. However, relevant information from programs is not communicated in a standardized way.

METHODS

We used Fellow and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access (FREIDA) Online to identify residency programs with traditional CT fellowships. Program-specific variables included presence or absence of tracks, track duration, and annual cardiac and thoracic cases. Resident-specific variables included number of resident(s) a program accepts and case numbers per fellow. Current CT residents completed an online survey in which they rated how important they deemed the presence of these variables in program websites.

RESULTS

According to FREIDA Online, 74 traditional CT surgery fellowship websites were analyzed. Among the websites listed on FREIDA, only 16 (22%) linked directly to the CT fellowship page. Surveys were sent to all trainees enrolled in the 74 programs, and 24 responded. There were marked deficiencies in the availability of information on program websites that was highly valued by trainees. Only 31% of websites reported annual program volume, and 14% reported resident case numbers, while this data was highly valued by >60% of respondents. Similarly, 11% of program websites described their education curriculum, while 81% of respondents highly valued this information. One-quarter of respondents were dissatisfied with the overall information provided by program websites.

CONCLUSIONS

CT fellowship program websites lack crucial content that is deemed highly valued by applicants. This study suggests the possible need for a single comprehensive data repository or a standardized method for communicating information through program websites.