Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40849385›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2025

Analysis of the 2024 Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Match: Survey of Applicants' and Program Directors' Preferences Regarding In-Person Versus Virtual Interviews.

Jennifer K Plichta, Richard J Bleicher, Judy Boughey, Julie A Margenthaler, Holly Mason, Catherine Pesce, Katharine Schulz-Costello, Ranjna Sharma, Raeshell Sweeting, Mediget Teshome and 1 more

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Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jennifer K PlichtaDuke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA. jennifer.plichta@duke.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7411-0558
Richard J BleicherDepartment of Surgery, Division of Breast Surgery, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Judy BougheyDivision of Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Julie A MargenthalerDepartment of Surgery, Section of Surgical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Holly MasonDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, MA, USA.
Catherine PesceDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Endeavor Health/University of Chicago, Evanston, IL, USA.
Katharine Schulz-CostelloDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Division of Breast Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
Ranjna SharmaDepartment of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Raeshell SweetingDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Mediget TeshomeDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Society of Surgical Oncology/American Society of Breast Surgeons Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program Directors Committee

Funding

Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (K12) - Administrative SupplementK12AR084231 · NIAMS · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI Cindy Amundsen · 2023 to 2026
$2.5M
NIAMS NIH HHS K12 AR084231NIH HHS K12AR084231
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2020, in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Breast Surgical Oncology (BSO) fellowship programs transitioned to virtual interviews; however, for the 2024 cycle, programs selected either virtual or in-person interviews with applicants participating in potentially both formats. Following the match, a survey was performed to evaluate experiences among applicants and program directors (PDs).

methodsSurveys were developed within the BSO Fellowship Program Directors Committee and distributed via email to matched applicants and PDs from 18 July 2024 to 9 August 2024. Descriptive statistics were conducted.

resultsOf the 89 matched applicants, 60 completed the survey (response rate 67.4%). Most applicants (76.7%, n = 46) preferred in-person over virtual interviews. The top reason for preferring in-person was 'to see the program in person' (56.7%, n = 34). Nearly half of applicants (48.3%, n = 29) estimated spending ≥$5000 on interviews, and 78.3% (n = 47) indicated the cost was 'worth it'. Over half of applicants (51.7%, n = 31) reported interview style had an impact on their match. Of the 64 PDs, 38 completed the survey (response rate 59.4%). Virtual interviews were the most common format (65.8%, n = 25). The most important factor reported by most programs regarding the interview approach was cost to applicants (42.1%, n = 16). Over half of PDs (52.6%, n = 20) felt the interview approach influenced the match.

conclusionsThe majority of 2024 BSO fellowship matched applicants preferred in-person interviews, noting the importance of location, faculty, and culture to their decision making. This data may assist PDs in choosing the interview approach best suited for their programs and guide training programs more broadly.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCOVID-19Fellowships and ScholarshipsInternship and ResidencyInterviews as TopicPersonnel SelectionSurgical OncologyAdultEducation, Medical, GraduateFemaleHumansMaleSARS-CoV-2Surveys and QuestionnairesBreast fellowshipFellowship interviewsMatchProgram directors

Identifiers

PMID40849385
PMCPMC12380182

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.