The maternal-fetal medicine fellowship match system: Effectiveness at identifying successful clinician-investigators at 1 institution

OBJECTIVE: To determine if rank position on the match list of a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) fellowship program predicted applicant academic success. STUDY DESIGN: The Thomas Jefferson University MFM fellowship program rank order lists and the results of the match were reviewed for 1991-2002. Evaluation of candidates includes an application, 3 letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae and interview upon invitation. Career success of graduated fellows was defined as MFM board certification, number of peer-reviewed publications and of Society for MFM (SMFM) abstract publications. RESULTS: Applicants ranked higher tended to have more peer-reviewed publications per applicant (9.2 vs. 4.7 vs. 4.4, p = 0.5) and more abstracts presented at SMFM (7.6 vs. 8.0 vs. 3.8 p = 0.5) as compared to lower-ranked applicants. Ranked applicants had a higher probability of being MFM board certified (74 vs. 22%, p = 0.005), having more peer-reviewed publications (6.8 vs. 1.4, p = 0.005), and more abstracts (7.1 vs. 2.1, p < 0.0001) as compared to nonranked applicants. CONCLUSION: MFM fellowship applicants who were ranked higher were more likely to publish as compared to lower-ranked applicants. Ranked applicants were more likely to publish and be MFM board certified as compared to nonranked applicants.