The profile of successful applicants for endocrine surgery fellowships: results of a national survey

BackgroundThe American Association of Endocrine Surgeons initiated a fellowship match in 2007. The profile of applicants who successfully match into an endocrine surgery (ES) fellowship has not previously been characterized.MethodsAn institutional review board-approved, web-based survey was distributed to recent and current ES fellows.ResultsThe survey response rate was 62% (56/90). The overall mean age was 33 years (standard deviation ±3), 54% were female, and 37% self-identified as non-white. Only 5% entered their surgical training with the aim of specializing in ES. During residency, respondents were exposed to high volumes of index ES cases. Sixty-two percent had dedicated research time. At the time of fellowship application, the median number of publications was 5 (range, 0 to 25), and 30% of respondents had additional advanced degrees.ConclusionEntering ES fellows has diverse backgrounds, with strong academic credentials. These data help inform the career mentoring of aspiring ES applicants.