Evaluating the weighting of extracurricular involvement in standardised curriculum vitae scoring criteria for entrance into Australian medical and surgical speciality training programs.

Abstract

Objective This study aims to evaluate how extracurricular involvement, such as sports, music, volunteering and teaching, are weighted within standardised curriculum vitae (CV) scoring criteria for medical officers applying to medical and surgical specialty training programs in Australia. Methods A cross-sectional observational analysis of point allocations for extracurricular involvement was performed, as detailed by publicly available standardised CV scoring criteria for medical and surgical training programs. The analysis includes all specialty training programs in Australian and New Zealand listed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency that publish these criteria for the 2023 intake. Results Of the 47 reviewed specialty training programs, 14 publish publicly available standardised CV scoring criteria, and 8 of these allocate points for extracurricular involvement. The mean weighting for extracurricular involvement was 11.5% (range 4.5-20%), compared with 42.5% for research. The allocation of points varies by training program and subdomain. Conclusion The weighting of extracurricular involvement within standardised CV scoring criteria is limited and varied among specialty training programs, despite alignment with non-cognitive competencies emphasised by training frameworks. Current emphasis on academic achievements may disadvantage applicants with limited access to research opportunities. Greater clarity and consistency in evaluating non-academic attributes may support fairer, more holistic selection processes.