Availability of Information on Orthopedics and Traumatology Residency Program Websites

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico, medical training is heterogeneous, and specialty residency programs are no exception. Furthermore, given the disparity among teaching hospitals in terms of resources, infrastructure, clinical offerings, opportunities, and academic curricula, the availability of institutional information becomes increasingly important. Such information, as it currently stands, may appear insufficient to meet the governance criteria established by international organizations involved in health workforce education and training.
Objective: To describe availability and accessibility to public information provided by teaching hospitals and universities regarding Orthopaedic Surgery residency programs in Mexico, according to criteria established by other medical training systems.
Method: A cross-sectional review was conducted of the official websites of institutions listed by the Interinstitutional Commission for the Training of Human Resources in Health (CIFRHS) during 2024 and 2025. A total of 177 hospital sites and 29 universities were evaluated using a 28-item checklist, which incorporated elements from validated instruments for assessing website quality and content, as well as items relevant to medical graduates applying for residency programs.
Results: Websites with available information were identified in 27.1% (n=48) of hospitals. Among these, 10.19% included an academic program, 37.31% described their objectives, 20.9% reported available rotations, 5.97% mentioned faculty profiles, 5.97% detailed on-call schedules, and 7.46% reported workload data. Infrastructure was mentioned in 5.97% of sites, 8.96% referred to scientific publications, and 26.87% described their admission process. Only one site (1.49%) reported the pass rate of graduates in the Mexican Board of Orthopedics and Traumatology (CMOT) certification exam.
Conclusions: Most training sites lack official online platforms, limiting the availability of accessible information. We recommend establishing minimum guidelines coordinated by relevant authorities and autonomous organizations to ensure standardized and publicly available information.