Analysis of U.S. Radiation Oncology Residency Program Websites: A Call for Further Improvements.

Abstract

Purpose: In 2015, only 13% of radiation oncology residency program websites were found to contain ≥80% of the crucial information sought by applicants. In a "post-COVID-19 world" in which many programs are continuing exclusively virtual interviews, digital resources often serve as first impressions of an organization. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate common website deficiencies and program website comprehensiveness, as well as to assess how they correlate with program characteristics.

Methods and materials: Eighty-eight residency programs, their websites, and characteristics, including program size, match rate, accreditation status, and publication percentile, were identified using the FREIDA Residency Program Database, the Doximity Residency Navigator, a list of radiation oncology residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the 2019-2023 National Resident Matching Program data. Website comprehensiveness was evaluated based on 16 criteria, including information on didactics, clinical rotations, application requirements, current residents, alumni, technology and research, and the presence of video resources. Relationships between program characteristics and website comprehensiveness were evaluated using a Kruskal-Wallis t test and linear regression.

Results: Comprehensiveness scores had a mean and median of 76.3% and 81.3%, respectively, ranging from 18.8% to 100%. Of the 16 criteria, 9 were present in ≥80% of websites, and 3 (information about call responsibilities, medical student clerkships, and social opportunities) were present in ≤60% of websites. Programs accredited without warning had more comprehensive websites than programs accredited with a warning (P < .01). Programs with more current residents (P = .007), more spots offered in the Match (P = .008), and higher resident publication percentiles (P = .002) had more comprehensive websites.

Conclusions: While the comprehensiveness of US radiation oncology residency program websites has improved significantly on average over the past decade, there is still ample room for further improvement - only 26.1% and 54.5% of websites contained information about call responsibilities and student clerkships, respectively. Future investigations include relationships between match rates and program/location-specific characteristics (eg, region, cost of living, and salary/benefits).