Setting and Problem
The pediatric subspecialty fellowship pipeline across the United States varies from undersubscribed to very competitive (program fill rate for the 2020 appointment year ranged between 52% and 98%). For candidates to determine the best fit for their subspecialty training, programs must highlight their culture and unique features and showcase their department's training support. Interview strategies often lack the departmental components, representing a missed opportunity that may impact candidate program choice. Our goal was to create a novel recruitment session that allowed all subspecialty applicants to come together to learn about our department, to meet department-level leadership, and to experience the fellow learning community.
Intervention
To assist pediatric subspecialty programs with recruitment for the 2020 academic year, our department-hosted 19 breakfast sessions for applicants as part of their subspecialty interview days. These recruitment breakfasts were scheduled between September and November 2019, with a virtual option available for applicants unable to attend on their interview day. Program directors and coordinators were invited to attend.
All sessions were 60 minutes and began with introductions from key department leadership, including the department chair, associate chair of education, director of fellowship education, associate program director of recruitment, diversity, and inclusion, and other department and division educational leaders.
At the sessions, applicants learned about departmental programs and opportunities, including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and American Board of Pediatrics subspecialty core curriculum, comprising content on leadership, teaching, well-being, quality improvement, professionalism, health disparities, and scholarship. A quarter of the session was devoted to the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts occurring at all levels of the institution. Our fellow learning community was featured by sharing information on our unique Fellows' Council and the implementation of the core curriculum that brings all subspecialty trainees together to learn. Advanced degrees, grant writing resources, and compensation and benefits were presented, and applicants were provided a packet of information complementing the content of the session. Applicant attitudes were measured using a post-recruitment survey with a 3-point Likert-type scale and open-ended questions.
Outcomes to Date
A total of 101 applicants from 14 subspecialties attended the breakfast sessions in person and 3 attended virtually, which represented 38% of all interviewed applicants. Of the 104 attendees, 99 were sent a survey about their experience, representing 12 subspecialties. Thirty-six percent (36 of 99) responded, of which 89% (32 of 36) indicated that the session positively influenced their ranking decision. Respondents also rated the importance of the program content areas on their impression of our institution as a training site (Figure).
Applicant Attitudes to Recruitment Breakfast Session Content
Note: Shown are the percentages of applicants who rated each content area as important or very important.
Applicant Attitudes to Recruitment Breakfast Session Content
Note: Shown are the percentages of applicants who rated each content area as important or very important.
In open-ended comments, applicants indicated they liked the academic opportunities, fellowship learning community, core curriculum, and the opportunity to meet with department leadership. Comments included:
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“Of the 7 programs I interviewed with, [your institution] offered the most structured, [thorough] fellows' curriculum which positively influenced my ranking decision.”
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“Meeting the chair and all the other important faculty members, seeing the other fellow applicants...”
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“Learning about the other fellowships, fellowship bonding events, diversity and inclusion efforts across the campus...”
In conclusion, applicants reported that the department-hosted sessions had a positive impact on their ranking decisions, and 43% (19 of 44) of matched applicants attended the breakfasts. Key elements included demonstrating leadership commitment to trainee education, highlighting the core curriculum, and establishing an interdivisional community by bringing all subspecialty applicants together as a model for our learning community. These departmental sessions filled a recruitment gap and highlighted our institution's commitment to subspecialty training including diversity, equity, and inclusion. This session complemented divisional recruitment efforts and positively impacted recruitment at our institution. This recruitment strategy could easily be adapted at other institutions.
