How Does the Current Generation of Medical Students View the Radiology Match? An Analysis of the AuntMinnie and Student Doctor Network Online Forums

Rationale and Objectives: The AuntMinnie (AM) and the Student Doctor Network (SDN) online forums are popular resources for medical students applying for residency. The purpose of this study was to describe medical student radiology-related posts on AM and SDN to better understand the medical student perspective on the application and Match process. Materials and Methods: We reviewed all posts made on the AM and SDN online forums over 5 consecutive academic years from July 2012 to July 2017. Each thread was organized into one of six major categories. We quantified forum utilization over the past 5 years by the total number of and the most frequently posted and viewed thread topics. Results: We reviewed 2683 total threads with 5,723,909 views. Total number of threads posted and viewed fell by 46% and 63%, respectively, from 2013–2014 to 2014–2015, after which they returned near baseline by 2016–2017, along with an increase in interventional radiology-related posts between 2012–2013 (13%) and 2016–2017 (32%) (P <.001). The most common application-related topics were preapplication and program ranking advice (20% of all threads and views). Many posts were related to postinterview communication with residency programs (2% of all threads and views). Conclusions: After a drop in 2013–2014, utilization of AM and SDN increased in 2016–2017, along with increased interest in interventional radiology. Addressing the student concerns identified in our study, especially in preparing residency applications, ranking programs, and navigating difficult situations, such as postinterview program communication, may improve the radiology application process for future medical students and their advisors.