Dermatology personal statement themes and match outcomes
Recommended Citation
Bardhi R, Bugosh L, Al-Hadidi M, Duong J, Colbert S, Jones B, Daveluy S. Dermatology personal statement themes and match outcomes. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:S175.
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
8-1-2024
Publication Title
J Invest Dermatol
Abstract
Introduction: As the dermatology residency application process adopts a more holistic approach, personal statements are gaining increased significance. Methods: This study compared personal statements from matched and unmatched dermatology residency applicants (n = 573) to Wayne State Dermatology in 2022. Two blinded investigators identified recurring themes within the personal statements, with a third resolving discrepancies. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used for analysis. Results: Matched applicants mentioned certain themes significantly more frequently than their unmatched counterparts. These themes included encountering discrimination (8.7% vs. 2.5%), experiencing financial difficulties (9.3% vs. 5.5%), engaging in skin cancer screening (5.7% vs. 2.1%), demonstrating leadership experience (30.2% vs. 23.1%), aspiring to work in academia (42.5% vs. 32.4%) or as a physician educator (19.5% vs. 13.4%) and mentioning significant others (3.9% vs. 1.3%). Conversely, matched applicants highlighted certain themes significantly less frequently compared to unmatched applicants. These included being international graduates (2.4% vs. 10.5%), completing another residency (6.0% vs. 16.0%), holding a master’s degree (3.9% vs. 7.1%), reasons for pursuing medicine (47.6% vs. 54.6%), and specific reasons for pursuing dermatology such as technology (1.5% vs. 3.8%), patients of all ages (1.8% vs. 4.6%), procedures (9.9% vs. 16.4%), and diverse cases (8.4% vs. 15.1%). Conclusions: Certain personal statement themes varied between matched and unmatched dermatology applicants. Limitations: Further investigation is needed to determine the impact of these themes on match outcomes. Additionally, identifying recurring themes was subjective, necessitating the involvement of a third investigator for each personal statement to address discrepancies.
Volume
144
First Page
S175
