Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP51-08
Sources of Funding: none

Introduction

Interviews are essential to the residency application process. Questions regarding marital status, child bearing, ethnicity, and religion violate employment law if asked by the interviewer. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of discriminatory questions asked during urology residency interviews and to assess for differences by applicant gender.

Methods

A 22-question online anonymous survey was distributed following the Urology Match to 340 PGY1 urology applicants at Northwestern University. Questions were asked in a two-part, stepwise fashion. If a candidate replied "no" to whether they introduced a restricted topic in an interview, they were subsequently asked how often interviewers introduced a topic. An open-ended question asked applicants to comment on other potentially inappropriate questions._x000D_ _x000D_

Results

The overall response rate was 50%, with 170 applicants (41 female, 129 male) completing the survey. Respondent characteristics are outlined in Table 1. _x000D_ _x000D_ Overall, 35% of respondents believed they were asked an inappropriate question. Females (39%) were more likely to report being asked discriminatory questions than males (23%). Men were most commonly asked about rank list. Females were most often asked about relationship status._x000D_ _x000D_ Statistical significance was found between males and females in inquiries related to current parental status (59% vs. 5%) (p=0.030) and intent for future children (42% vs. 13%) (p=0.001). There was a marked difference in questions about marital status (female 67% vs. male 42%), but this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.300). _x000D_ _x000D_ Regarding other restricted topics, 17% of respondents were asked about age, 13% national origin, and 4% religion, with no differences between genders. In the open-ended response, other topics considered inappropriate by respondents included weaknesses of other applicants, sexual orientation and home ownership._x000D_

Conclusions

An alarming percentage of urology applicants are asked interview questions that violate employment law. Females are disproportionately questioned about relationships, parental status and plans for children. Education of applicant interviewers regarding legally restricted questions is warranted. _x000D_ _x000D_

Funding

none