An evaluation of the content on pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program websites

Fellowship program website content has been studied for some ophthalmological subspecialties; however, pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program websites have not been previously studied. Our cross-sectional analysis reveals that all US pediatric ophthalmology fellowship programs maintain an active website that is visible after Google search, which is not the case for all glaucoma, vitreoretinal surgery, or ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship programs. Content on pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program websites varied widely, with program websites averaging only 12 +/- 3.3 of 20 recruitment and education criteria evaluated (range, 3-18). Total number of fellows, number of clinical faculty, and geographic region did not affect fellowship program website content score. Fewer than half of fellowship program websites contained criteria often deemed important by applicants, including geographic placement of graduates, salary/benefits, and call schedule. Optimized recruitment and education content on fellowship programs websites may help applicants identify programs that best align with their career goals.