Interviewing Experience and Program Ratings Among Applicants to Three Community Hospital-Based Family Medicine Residency Programs
Abstract
Introduction Understanding applicant priorities has become increasingly important for effective recruitment and program development. Given the diversity of family medicine residency (FMR) programs, the research question of this study was to determine which factors influence applicants’ Rank Order List (ROL) decisions across multiple community-based programs, and how do these preferences change over successive match cycles. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among candidates applying to three community hospital-based FMR programs in the US. Applicants who interviewed during National Residency Match Program (NRMP) cycles from 2019 to 2023 were invited to complete a pre-validated electronic questionnaire assessing pre-interview, interview, and post-interview experiences anonymously. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, were used to summarize responses, and no inferential statistical tests were performed. Response patterns over time were described by comparing proportions across years and estimating percentage differences. Data analysis was performed using statistical software, and findings were presented using tables and line graphs. Results Seven hundred and twenty-five (55.13%) of 1,315 FMR applicants across three programs completed the survey. At Adventist Health, most participants rated Happiness of Residents (87.50%) and Interaction with Faculty (80.36%) as extremely important. Positive culture (22.22%) and Comprehensive learning (20%) were reported as key strengths. At Tidelands Health, participants reported Culture of Program (83.76-93.26%), Focus on wellness (66.67-82.61%), and Flexibility of the program (62.25-77.17%) as extremely important during recent years. Most of the applicants to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, during 2022-2024, described Interaction with Faculty (65.22-74.47%), Culture of Program (74.47-84.78%), Curriculum/Clinical opportunities (73.91-78.18%), as extremely important. Conclusion FMR applicants consistently reported prioritizing program culture, resident satisfaction, faculty interactions, and wellness-related factors over specific curricular components when evaluating programs. The findings suggest that emphasizing the overall training environment and applicant experience may better align recruitment efforts with applicant priorities.
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BibTeX
@article{malone2026interviewing,
title = {{Interviewing Experience and Program Ratings Among Applicants to Three Community Hospital-Based Family Medicine Residency Programs}},
author = {Michael Malone MD and Omar Irfan MD and Salman Muhammad Soomar MSc and Muhammad Nausherwan Khan MD, FAAFP and Nabiha Malik MD and Matthew Moran MD and Erum Azhar MD, MS, MHQS, CPPS, FACOG and Abdul Waheed MD, MS, CPE, FAAFP},
journal = {Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1177/23821205261501062},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205261501062},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interviewing Experience and Program Ratings Among Applicants to Three Community Hospital-Based Family Medicine Residency Programs
AU - Michael Malone MD
AU - Omar Irfan MD
AU - Salman Muhammad Soomar MSc
AU - Muhammad Nausherwan Khan MD, FAAFP
AU - Nabiha Malik MD
AU - Matthew Moran MD
AU - Erum Azhar MD, MS, MHQS, CPPS, FACOG
AU - Abdul Waheed MD, MS, CPE, FAAFP
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development
DO - 10.1177/23821205261501062
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205261501062
AB - Introduction Understanding applicant priorities has become increasingly important for effective recruitment and program development. Given the diversity of family medicine residency (FMR) programs, the research question of this study was to determine which factors influence applicants’ Rank Order List (ROL) decisions across multiple community-based programs, and how do these preferences change over successive match cycles. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among candidates applying to three community hospital-based FMR programs in the US. Applicants who interviewed during National Residency Match Program (NRMP) cycles from 2019 to 2023 were invited to complete a pre-validated electronic questionnaire assessing pre-interview, interview, and post-interview experiences anonymously. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, were used to summarize responses, and no inferential statistical tests were performed. Response patterns over time were described by comparing proportions across years and estimating percentage differences. Data analysis was performed using statistical software, and findings were presented using tables and line graphs. Results Seven hundred and twenty-five (55.13%) of 1,315 FMR applicants across three programs completed the survey. At Adventist Health, most participants rated Happiness of Residents (87.50%) and Interaction with Faculty (80.36%) as extremely important. Positive culture (22.22%) and Comprehensive learning (20%) were reported as key strengths. At Tidelands Health, participants reported Culture of Program (83.76-93.26%), Focus on wellness (66.67-82.61%), and Flexibility of the program (62.25-77.17%) as extremely important during recent years. Most of the applicants to WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, during 2022-2024, described Interaction with Faculty (65.22-74.47%), Culture of Program (74.47-84.78%), Curriculum/Clinical opportunities (73.91-78.18%), as extremely important. Conclusion FMR applicants consistently reported prioritizing program culture, resident satisfaction, faculty interactions, and wellness-related factors over specific curricular components when evaluating programs. The findings suggest that emphasizing the overall training environment and applicant experience may better align recruitment efforts with applicant priorities.
SN - 2382-1205
ER -