Cross-sectional study of dermatology residency home match incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abdelwahab, Rewan; Antezana, Luis A.; Xie, Katherine; Abdelwahab, Muhab; Tollefson, Megha M.

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2021.12.004

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Our findings validated our hypothesis that a greater proportion of students applying for orthopaedics residency in 2021 would match at their home program compared with previous application cycles. These results mirror the findings of similar recent studies in plastic surgery, urology, otolaryngology, and dermatology [24][25][26][27][28] . In this study, approximately 20% of students who matched into an orthopaedic surgery residency between 2017 and 2020 matched at their home program.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the 2021 Orthopaedic Surgery Match Outcomes

et al. 2022

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Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the 2021 orthopaedic surgery residency match outcomes. Because in-person away rotations and interviews were canceled during the 2020 to 2021 application cycle, we hypothesized that applicants would match at their home program at a higher rate in 2021 than in previous years. Methods: We queried allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency websites and social media accounts for names of residents and medical school information for cohorts matching from 2017 through 2021. To assess availability of and participation in virtual away rotations, we administered a survey to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education -accredited allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency programs. The primary outcome was the annual proportion of applicants matching at the program affiliated with their medical school ("home program"). Subgroup analyses were stratified by Doximity reputation ranking and availability of a virtual away rotation. Results: We identified 2,632 residents who matched between 2017 and 2020 and 698 residents who matched in 2021. Overall home program match rate and likelihood of home matching were higher in 2021 compared with 2017 to 2020 (28% vs. 20%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.82, p < 0.001). The increase in the home match rate at programs ranked in the top 30 (27% vs. 20%, p = 0.034) was similar to the increase at programs ranked outside the top 30 (28% vs. 20%, p < 0.001). Of the 66 (48%) programs that responded to the survey, 16 (24%) offered a virtual away rotation. Programs with a higher Doximity ranking were more likely than lower-ranked programs to offer a virtual away rotation (OR = 6.75, 95% CI 1.95-23.4, p = 0.003). Home match rates did not differ significantly between programs that offered a virtual away rotation and those that did not (26% vs. 32%, p = 0.271). Conclusions: A higher proportion of orthopaedic surgery residency applicants matched at their home program in 2021 compared with previous years. Limitations on in-person activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to this rise. Level of Evidence: N/A.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the 2021 Orthopaedic Surgery Match Outcomes

et al. 2022

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“…In addition to preferences for in-person interviews, concerns exist about the implications of virtual interviews on match outcomes. Virtual interviews resulted in a higher rate of matching at a student’s home institution [ 16 , 17 ]. There is evidence that some program directors are concerned that applicants from less prestigious schools are at a disadvantage in the era of virtual interviews and limited away rotations [ 12 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual residency recruitment: future directions in the new era

et al. 2022

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Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to many changes in healthcare including graduate medical education (GME). Residency and fellowship programs halted in-person recruitment and pivoted to virtual models. Residency selection and recruitment were practices ripe for redesign, as they relied on in-person interviewing as the major point of contact prior to match list creation. In this commentary, we review the state of virtual interviewing and propose a future state where virtual interactions are commonplace and integrated into a comprehensive recruitment process. Discussion Virtual recruitment has led to a reduction of expenses, improved time efficiency for all parties and a reduced carbon footprint. Residency match outcomes have not changed substantially with the advent of virtual interviewing. Hybrid approaches, including virtual and in-person options have significant drawbacks and pitfalls which may limit adoption. Given the upheaval in GME recruitment caused by the pandemic, and the limitations of current methods for candidate assessment and interactions with programs, further innovation is needed to achieve an optimal state for all stakeholders. Multiple technology innovations are on the horizon which may improve the ability to interact virtually. Adoption of new technology along with expanding the timeline for residency recruitment may further optimize the process for both applicants and programs. Conclusions The GME community was able to adopt technology for the recruitment interview rapidly due to the pandemic. As more opportunities for technology-based interactions grow, the opportunity exists to reimagine recruitment beyond the interview. While resources are constrained, some of the efficiencies gained by adopting virtual interviewing can be leveraged to expand the interactions between programs and applicants. Incorporation of in-person interaction may still be needed. Models will need to be developed to build upon the best characteristics of the virtual and in-person environments to optimize GME recruitment. KEY MESSAGES: Virtual communication methods have substantially changed residency recruitment during the COVID -19 pandemic. COVID -19 related changes in residency recruitment, including wide adoption of virtual methods, should be maintained and strengthened. Efforts should be made to advance the gains in residency recruitment strategy during the pandemic by use of technologies that expand virtual interactions beyond the interview.

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“…5 It was also noted that larger dermatology programs were more likely to match home candidates. 6 Both otolaryngology and plastic surgery noted a reduced match rate for applicants without a home program. 2,3 One hypothesis for the increased home-institution match rate in ophthalmology is that it is directly related to COVID-19 restrictions on away rotations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 on the Ophthalmology Residency Home-Institution Match Rate

Swan

Syed

Crowder

et al. 2022

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the ophthalmology residency match results to determine changes in the rate of home-institution matches during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods Aggregate deidentified summary match result data from 2017 to 2022 was obtained from the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology and the San Francisco (SF) Match. A chi-squared test was performed to determine if the rate of candidate matching to the home residency program in ophthalmology was higher in the post-COVID-19 compared with pre-COVID-19 match years. A literature review using PubMed was performed of other medical subspecialty match rates to home institution during the same study period. Results A chi-squared test for difference in proportions confirmed a significantly higher chance of matching to the home program for ophthalmology in the post-COVID-19, SF Match year of 2021 to 2022 compared with 2017 to 2020 (p = 0.001). Other medical specialties including otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and dermatology also showed similar increased home institution residency match rates during the same time period. Although neurosurgery and urology also had increased trend rates for home institution match rates, these results did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions The ophthalmology home-institution residency SF Match rate was significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic year 2021 to 22. This mirrors a trend reported in other specialties including the otolaryngology, dermatology, and plastic surgery in the 2021 match. Additional study will be required to identify factors leading to this observation.

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Cross-sectional study of dermatology residency home match incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 8 publications

References 3 publications

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the 2021 Orthopaedic Surgery Match Outcomes

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the 2021 Orthopaedic Surgery Match Outcomes

Virtual residency recruitment: future directions in the new era

Impact of COVID-19 on the Ophthalmology Residency Home-Institution Match Rate

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