Evidence-Based Selection of Surgical Residents

Laurel A Vaughan; Jacob A Quick

doi:10.1016/j.suc.2021.05.012

Evidence-Based Selection of Surgical Residents

Surg Clin North Am. 2021 Aug;101(4):667-677. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2021.05.012.

Authors

Laurel A Vaughan¹, Jacob A Quick²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Missouri, 1 Hospital Drive, MC220, Columbia, MO 65212, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/LaurelAVaughan.
² Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Missouri, 1 Hospital Drive, MC220, Columbia, MO 65212, USA. Electronic address: quickja@health.missouri.edu.

PMID: 34242608
DOI: 10.1016/j.suc.2021.05.012

Abstract

Residency programs should use a systematic method of recruitment that begins with defining unique desired candidate attributes. Commonly sought-after characteristics may be delineated via the residency application. Scores from standardized examinations taken in medical school predict academic success, and may correlate to overall performance. Strong letters of recommendation and a personal history of prior success outside the medical field both forecast success in residency. Interviews are crucial to determining fit within a program, and remain a valid measure of an applicant's ability to prosper in a particular program, even with many interviews being completed in the virtual realm.

Keywords: ABSITE; Recruitment; Resident; Selection; USMLE.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Evidence-Based Practice
General Surgery / education*
Humans
Internship and Residency / organization & administration*
Interviews as Topic
Personality
School Admission Criteria*
Social Skills
Students, Medical / psychology
United States