A survey of program directors for combined pediatrics and medical genetics and genomics residency programs: Perspectives when evaluating applicants

While combined pediatrics and medical genetics and genomics residency programs are growing in number and applicants, there are still workforce shortages within the medical genetics field. Medical students would benefit from additional information on the training pathways and insight into the application process itself. Program Directors of combined pediatrics and medical genetics and genomics residency programs were surveyed to characterize factors that influence interview selection and rank list decisions, application logistics, recruitment, and training pathways. When evaluating applicants, representatives from both pediatrics and medical genetics are involved in the screening process. Additionally, both groups value prior research experience, but do not have a clear preference for a particular subcategory or domain of research. Most program directors think that all currently-available training pathways can provide optimal training. Further action is needed to provide medical students with the knowledge to make more informed decisions about their career and medical school advisors with objective data to counsel students. There was support among program directors to initiate consideration of creating a pathway for medical students to match directly into a medical genetics and genomics residency.