Centralized Interviews for Prospective Radiology Residents

Abstract

Approximately 20 years ago, the match for radiology residency was imposed and became universally accepted. It has engendered a salutary effect for both the applicants and the training programs. Before then, program directors were free to interview candidates whenever they wished. Some often completed their first year rosters with beginning third year students or even with those still in the second year of medical school. Applicants had to guess when was the best time to seek interviews, a procedure which often interfered with participation in and completion of clinical clerkships. Some program directors demanded immediate confirmation of their decision to offer a residency, often leaving students in a quandary even before they could visit other places for which they had an interest. Moreover, potentially excellent residents who would likely eventually become superb practitioners and investigators in Radiology were denied opportunities to enter our specialty because they decided to pursue it too late. The need for the imposition of a match was acute to protect the interests of applicants who otherwise had no political means to protect themselves from the arbitrariness of recruitment. Programs gained as well from adherence to the requirements of the match. The interview season was specified to extend from the late Fall to the early Winter of the candidate’s fourth year. Those who opted for Radiology after experiencing much of medical school were better able to articulate their reasons for seeking a career in our specialty. By then, for many, family situations had become more defined, allowing candidates to look for programs that met their geographical predilections.