Neurosurgery residency rankings: An assessment of Doximity's survey-based data and objective program characteristics

Background: Medical students often consult residency program reputation rankings whilst creating residency program rank lists. Accurate assessment of a residency program remains a cumbersome task, primarily due to varying degrees of interpretation and bias. The Doximity Residency Navigator (DRN) is a tool used to assist medical students in making informed residency decisions whilst simultaneously increasing transparency in the residency match process. DRN is comprised of data that assist applicants research prospective training programs, including reputation rankings across specialties, resident and alumni satisfaction surveys, and objective statistics such as training program size and research output. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the correlation between different Doximity rankings across neurosurgical residency programs. Methods: Rankings and the relevant criteria (reputation, research output, and percentage of graduates that subspecialize) and program size for all neurological surgery residency programs in the United States were obtained from the 2020-2021 Doximity Residency Navigator. Independent correlation analyses were run to ascertain the relationship between reputation ranking and 1) program size, 2) research output ranking and 3) ranking of the percentage of graduates who subspecialize. Results: The reputation rankings of neurosurgical residency programs are determined, in part, by nomination surveys completed by board-certified physicians. A statistically significant correlation was observed between reputation ranking and 1) program size and 2) research output ranking. Conclusion: Reputation rankings of neurosurgical residency programs put forth by Doximity Inc. incorporate reputational data and other objective outcome criteria. A nuanced understanding of the Doximity rankings will facilitate its use by medical students and healthcare professionals.