Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship Selection Criteria

BACKGROUND Obtaining a fellowship position for Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology (MSDO) is becoming very competitive. Applicant qualities desired by MSDO fellowship directors have not been previously explored in a systematic way. OBJECTIVE To characterize the prevailing practices of selecting MSDO fellows. METHODS AND MATERIALS Cross-sectional study based on an anonymous online survey of MSDO fellowship directors. RESULTS There were 34 completed surveys. Selection criteria with the highest importance to fellowship directors were the ability to work well and get along with others, interview, work ethic, and letter of recommendation from the Mohs micrographic surgery director at the applicant's residency. The criteria with the lowest importance were advanced degrees, medical licensing examination scores, and membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. Specific applicant factors that were looked upon most positively by fellowship directors include applicant from own institution and applicant's personal reasons and circumstances, whereas factors that were most unfavorable include applicant's desire to practice in the same city/area as the fellowship location and graduate of foreign medical school. CONCLUSION Although variations existed, MSDO fellowship directors collectively placed greater importance on criteria that reflect interpersonal skills than on objective measures of academic performance, which highlights the importance of "fit." Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Hao Feng, MD, MHS, The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, 240 East 38th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or e-mail: haofeng625@gmail.com Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Web site (https://ift.tt/2bw6lgr). The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters. © 2018 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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