Evaluation of National Resident Matching Program and Electronic Residency Application Service Data in the Integrated Plastic Surgery Match

Abstract

Introduction The National Resident Matching Program and Electronic Residency Application Service provide data for tracking trends among applicants in each specialty over the past 5 years. The purpose of this study was to examine this information and determine sex and race/ethnicity distribution over the past 5 years. Methods The National Resident Matching Program and Electronic Residency Application Service databases were surveyed for trends in the following categories: number of positions, number of applicants, percent of applicants per position, and number of applicants by sex and self-identified race/ethnicity. This information was analyzed graphically for visual representation of the changes in the field. Results While there has been a steady increase in number of positions offered, there has also been a significant decrease in number of applicants, resulting in an increase in number of positions offered per applicant. While female and Asian applicants have increased in number, rates of applications from other diverse groups have remained stagnant. Conclusions The number of plastic surgery positions offered has increased, whereas the number of applicants has decreased, resulting in a reduction in the number of applicants per position. Lack of racial diversity remains a significant issue in the applicant pool.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Plastic Surgery

“…Gallegos et al 51 found that underrepresented minorities accounted for fewer than 10% of applicants to integrated plastic surgery residencies. These authors attributed the low proportion of underrepresented applicants to a lack of diversity among medical students.…”

“…A total of 138 publications were identified 3–140 Figure 1. demonstrates the number of publications appearing annually in the 6 journals from January 2018 to September 2023.…”

“…72 The percentage of high school seniors applying to medical school is also in the range of 6%-8% for Blacks and Hispanics. 51 Indeed, the reason for a decreased representation of these ethnic groups in plastic surgery may not be a leaky pipeline. There is simply less water entering the pipeline, so to speak.…”

Comparative Evaluation of the Electronic Residency Application Service Versus the Plastic Surgery Common Application to a Single Institution in the 2022 Integrated Plastic Surgery Match

“…The cost of applying to residency through the standard ERAS application is expensive, with each applicant spending an average of $2149 in application fees during the 2020–2021 cycle 2 . This significant expense is exacerbated by additional costs associated with away rotations and interviewing, which creates financial barriers for medical students of lower socioeconomic groups 3 . Finances may affect a candidate's ability to interview at various programs, and those with access to family or personal funds may have an advantage during the application cycle 4 .…”

“…2 This significant expense is exacerbated by additional costs associated with away rotations and interviewing, which creates financial barriers for medical students of lower socioeconomic groups. 3 Finances may affect a candidate's ability to interview at various programs, and those with access to family or personal funds may have an advantage during the application cycle. 4 Furthermore, the number of residency programs applied to per applicant continues to rise, as the number of candidates applying to each specialty increases.…”