Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine
Biases in application review may limit access of applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) to graduate medical training opportunities. We aimed to evaluate the association between blinding interviewers to written applications and final ranking of all applicants and URM applicants for Gyn...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Gynecologic Oncology Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352578922000157 |
| _version_ | 1818315465566453760 |
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| author | Jennifer Haag Brooke E. Sanders Joseph Walker Keach Carolyn Lefkowits Jeanelle Sheeder Kian Behbakht |
| author_facet | Jennifer Haag Brooke E. Sanders Joseph Walker Keach Carolyn Lefkowits Jeanelle Sheeder Kian Behbakht |
| author_sort | Jennifer Haag |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biases in application review may limit access of applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) to graduate medical training opportunities. We aimed to evaluate the association between blinding interviewers to written applications and final ranking of all applicants and URM applicants for Gynecologic Oncology fellowship. During 2020 virtual Gynecologic Oncology fellowship interviews, we blinded one group of interviewers to written applications, including self-reported URM status. Interviewers visually interacted with the applicants but did not review their application. Interviewers submitted independent rank lists. We compared pooled rankings of blinded and non-blinded interviewers for all applicants and for URM applicants using appropriate bivariate statistics.We received 94 applications for two positions through the National Resident Matching Program, of which 18 (19%) self-identified as URM. We invited 40 applicants to interview and interviewed 30 applicants over six sessions. Ten interviewees (33%) self-identified as URM. Of 12 or 13 faculty interviewers during each interview session, 3 or 4 were blinded to the written application. There was no statistically significant difference in rank order when comparing blinded to non-blinded interviewers overall. However, blinded interviewers ranked URM applicants higher than non-blinded interviewers (p = 0.04). Blinding of written application metrics may allow for higher ranking of URM individuals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:05:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c02bd62a26e4640ba0ec60e6b4c036b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-5789 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:05:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gynecologic Oncology Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c02bd62a26e4640ba0ec60e6b4c036b2022-12-21T23:53:04ZengElsevierGynecologic Oncology Reports2352-57892022-02-0139100935Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicineJennifer Haag0Brooke E. Sanders1Joseph Walker Keach2Carolyn Lefkowits3Jeanelle Sheeder4Kian Behbakht5Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO 80045, USA; Corresponding author at: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, 12631 E 17th Ave, B198-6, Aurora, CO 80045.Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO 80045, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO 80204, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO 80045, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO 80045, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora CO 80045, USABiases in application review may limit access of applicants who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) to graduate medical training opportunities. We aimed to evaluate the association between blinding interviewers to written applications and final ranking of all applicants and URM applicants for Gynecologic Oncology fellowship. During 2020 virtual Gynecologic Oncology fellowship interviews, we blinded one group of interviewers to written applications, including self-reported URM status. Interviewers visually interacted with the applicants but did not review their application. Interviewers submitted independent rank lists. We compared pooled rankings of blinded and non-blinded interviewers for all applicants and for URM applicants using appropriate bivariate statistics.We received 94 applications for two positions through the National Resident Matching Program, of which 18 (19%) self-identified as URM. We invited 40 applicants to interview and interviewed 30 applicants over six sessions. Ten interviewees (33%) self-identified as URM. Of 12 or 13 faculty interviewers during each interview session, 3 or 4 were blinded to the written application. There was no statistically significant difference in rank order when comparing blinded to non-blinded interviewers overall. However, blinded interviewers ranked URM applicants higher than non-blinded interviewers (p = 0.04). Blinding of written application metrics may allow for higher ranking of URM individuals.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352578922000157Underrepresented in MedicineBlinded applicationsFellowship interviews |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer Haag Brooke E. Sanders Joseph Walker Keach Carolyn Lefkowits Jeanelle Sheeder Kian Behbakht Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine Gynecologic Oncology Reports Underrepresented in Medicine Blinded applications Fellowship interviews |
| title | Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| title_full | Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| title_fullStr | Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| title_short | Impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of Gynecologic Oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| title_sort | impact of blinding interviewers to written applications on ranking of gynecologic oncology fellowship applicants from groups underrepresented in medicine |
| topic | Underrepresented in Medicine Blinded applications Fellowship interviews |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352578922000157 |
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