Jon D. Simmons, M.D.

University of South Alabama

Associate Residency Director

Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care

Building a Residency through

effective recruiting

Jon D. Simmons, M.D.

General Surgery Program Director

University of South Alabama

Disclosures

• I have no financial disclosures

pertaining to this lecture

My Background

• College basketball scholarship

• Bachelor’s in Marketing & Advertising

• Administrative Chief Resident as PGY 4&5.

• Fellowship with Pam Lipsett M.D.

• Came to USA in 2011

Our residency in 2011

• 5 categorical residents per year

• Existing residents:

– PGY-4 ABSITE %tile scores: 0, 1, 1, 3, 5.

– Avg USMLE Step 2 = 205 (4 failed)

– 11 did prelim years

– ABS Board Pass rate = 43% (second worst)

• From Chair: “We are getting site-visited

next year by RRC and we will definitely

go on probation”

Educational Curriculum

in 2011

• A faculty member was

scheduled to give a

lecture each week based

on a book chapter

• Simulation: none

Mindset of Residents

• Multiple residents had

repeated years and/or

dismissed from the

residency

• Competing with each

other due to a

perceived “bottleneck”

in the PGY-3 year

Goal #1

• Pass the RRC site visit in one year

Objectives to pass RRC in 1 year

• Must improve ABSITE scores

significantly (four months)

• Current chiefs must pass written boards

(11 months)

• Must engage the residents to gain trust

change the culture of the program

Curriculum

• Active Learning

• SCORE – residents to give “facilitated

discussions”

• Journal Clubs & Tumor Boards

• Simulation (cadavers & FLS)

• Mock Orals (6 per year) with video

• Obtained residents help to start writing

the PIF and redesigning the program

Short-term Goal

Long-term Goal

Major Hurdle

How to Gain Trust

• Protection against disruptive physicians

• Allow residents to participate in building

the program and major dept decisions

• Create a truly anonymous evaluation

process to evaluate each rotation and

attending

Complete Engagement

• Involve the residents in the process of

recruiting and selecting the applicants

for the Match

– Trust

– Teamwork with each other

– Improved Morale

– See me as an advocate and mentor

– Ownership of the residency

Principles of

Marketing/Advertising

• Know your own core competencies

• Identify the target audience

• Identify desired characteristics of the

target audience

• Determine best way to display the

characteristics to the target audience

• Implement and maintain the marketing

effort

Core Competencies

• Technical Skills

– Patient population

– Only trauma center

in region

– No fellowships

• Research

• Residents = Grit &

Resilient

Future Competency

Target Audience

• AOA and Gold

Humanism

• Good test taker

(high USMLE’s)

• Evidence for

teamwork

• Don’t care if: U.S.,

Caribbean, D.O.,

FMG

What Applicants Want

• Safe and team-

oriented environment

• Family atmosphere

• Good clinical training

• Ability to get fellowship

• Ability to do missions

Recruiting 101

What humans want the most:

“to feel you are wanted”

Showing what applicants want

• Creating family atmosphere:

– Pick up applicants from airport

– Dinner at my house

– Residents transport applicants to my house

– Resident bring spouse and children

– Applicants bring spouse and children

– Residents cook the dinner

Showing what applicants want

• Safe Environment

– Dinner at my house

– I pick them up from the airport

– I am with them the entire interview process

– Continuously reiterate that my most

important role as a PD is to protect

residents

Marketing 101

• The best way to advertise is to get the

costumers (i.e. applicants) to do it for

you

Seal the deal

• Tell them why they are perfect for your

program

• Follow-up immediately with emails and

phone calls reiterating how great they

are

• Subsequent follow-ups using emails, etc

• Call top 10 prior to match

Improve each year

• Send information about the family

atmosphere prior to the interview

• Decrease hotel rates

• Breakfast at hotel

• “goodie bag” at hotel with program

information

Honesty

• Must be completely

honest and

transparent

• Discuss

weaknesses and

how they are being

improved

Attitudes & Culture

• Residents were engaged with the

curriculum and improving their education

• Formed study groups

• Accountability

• Worked as a team

Results

• 2012 ABSITE: 48th percentile. Only five

residents below 35th percentile.

• 2012 ABS Qualifying Exam: All five

passed.

• RRC Site Visit 2012: “Most dramatic

transformation of a residency I have

seen in over 20 years of doing this”

ABSITE - Sustainability

Sustainability

• Current Board Pass Rates:

– QE: 96%

– CE: 82%

• Fellowships: >80% get their first choice

in fellowship.

Match List

• Regularly match five categoricals in top

10 of rank list.

• Went to #6 this year on the rank list

• Many of our residents are: AOA, Gold

Humanism, Med school class

presidents, Valedictorians, Collegiate

Athletes, etc

• ALL are great teammates and

humanitarians

Conclusion

• We used the process of applicant

recruitment to improve all aspects of our

residency.