Impact of Doximity Residency Navigator on Graduate Medical Education Recruitment

OBJECTIVE: To assess residency applicants' use and perceptions of Doximity Residency Navigator (DRN) and to analyze the impact of Doximity reputation rankings on application, interview acceptance, and match list ranking decisions. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: We developed and distributed a survey seeking feedback from residency applicants to describe their use of DRN during the 2017 residency recruitment and match process. The dates of the study were March 1, 2017, through May 8, 2017. RESULTS: We received responses from 2152 of 12,617 applicants (17%) across 24 graduate medical education programs. Sixty-two percent of respondents (n=1339) used DRN during the residency application, interview, and match list process. Doximity reputation rankings were noted to be valuable or very valuable to 78% of respondents (958 of 1233). Overall, 79% of respondents (977 of 1241) reported that Doximity reputation rankings influenced their application, interview acceptance, or match list ranking decisions. When asked about the accuracy of Doximity reputation rankings, 56% of respondents (699 of 1240) believed that rankings were slightly accurate or not accurate. The most commonly used resources to research potential residency programs were residency program websites, American Medical Association resources, and DRN. CONCLUSION: Most survey respondents used DRN during the application, interview, and match ranking process. Doximity reputation rankings were found to be the most valuable resource in DRN, although more than 50% of responders had doubts about the accuracy of reputation rankings.