The Impact of Away Rotations on the Ophthalmology Residency Match

Tso, Hanna L.; Young, Jason; Boente, Charline S.; Yung, Chi Wah

doi:10.1055/s-0041-1723849

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Given that completing away rotations is expensive for medical students, costing an average of $1,000 to $2,000 per away rotation, decision-making for whether to do away rotations and specific program selection may be considered on an individual basis. 29 Our survey results also reveal that leadership and community service play an important role in the residency selection process. The selection criteria "Leadership roles" earned an aggregate score of 256 points, ranking as the 5th most important selection criteria, while "Community service" earned an aggregate score of 247 points, ranking as the 9th most important selection criteria.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…A recent survey of ophthalmology residency program directors revealed that most program directors recommend fourth-year medical students complete away rotations at other institutions, especially those for which they are strongly interested. 29 The survey also revealed that more than 80% of program directors indicated a visiting student is more likely to be offered an interview compared with another equally qualified applicant. However, far fewer program directors (only 35%) were more likely to rank an interviewee higher on their rank list if he or she had completed an away rotation at their institution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relative Importance of Applicant Characteristics in Ophthalmology Residency Interview Selection: A Survey of Program Directors

Cohen

Pershing

2022

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Introduction Ophthalmology residency positions remain competitive. A lack of clarity regarding which residency selection criteria are prioritized by program directors can heighten the stress associated with the match process. While surveys of program directors in several other medical specialties have been conducted to identify the most important residency selection criteria, there is limited data on selection criteria used by ophthalmology residency program directors. The purpose of our study was to survey ophthalmology residency program directors to identify the current state of interview selection decisions—the factors currently considered most important in determining whether to extend an interview invitation to residency applicants. Methods We developed and distributed a Web-based questionnaire to all U.S. ophthalmology residency program directors. Questions evaluated program demographics and the relative importance of 23 different selection criteria used by ophthalmology residency program directors when evaluating applicants for residency interviews (Likert scale 1–5, with 1 being “not important” and 5 being “very important”). Program directors were also asked to identify the one factor they felt was most important. Results The overall residency program director response rate was 56.5% (70/124). The selection criteria with the highest average importance scores were core clinical clerkship grades (4.26/5) followed by letters of recommendation (4.06/5), and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score (4.03/5). The most frequently cited single most important factor for interview selection was core clinical clerkship grades (18/70, 25.7%), with USMLE Step 1 score (9/70, 12.9%) and rotations at the program director's department (6/70, 8.6%) also commonly reported. Conclusion Our results suggest that core clinical clerkship grades, letters of recommendation, and USMLE Step 1 scores are deemed the most important selection criteria by ophthalmology residency program directors as of a 2021 survey. With changes in clerkship grading for many medical schools and changes in national USMLE Step 1 score reporting, programs will face challenges in evaluating applicants and the relative importance of other selection criteria will likely increase.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative Importance of Applicant Characteristics in Ophthalmology Residency Interview Selection: A Survey of Program Directors

Cohen

Pershing

2022

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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“…The cost of away rotations may be driving the association observed between total cost and number of interview offers received, as students completing away rotations may be more likely to get interviews at those programs. [16][17][18][19][20][21] Applicants who participated in the couples match spent on average $1683 more than those who did not. This may be related to the general guidance to apply to a greater number of programs to improve the odds of match success when participating in the couples match.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this data set, otolaryngology applicants spent an additional $1622 per each additional away rotation. The cost of away rotations may be driving the association observed between total cost and number of interview offers received, as students completing away rotations may be more likely to get interviews at those programs 16‐21 . Applicants who participated in the couples match spent on average $1683 more than those who did not.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cost of the Otolaryngology Residency Application Process: Comparison With Other Specialties and Equity Implications

et al. 2022

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Objective This study aims to assess trends in applicant-reported costs of the otolaryngology residency application process between 2019 and 2021 and evaluate the impact of application costs on number of interview offers. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Methods Survey data from applicants were obtained from the Texas STAR database (Seeking Transparency in Application to Residency) for the years 2019 to 2021. Outcomes included total cost, interview cost, other costs, application fees, and number of interview offers. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used to identify novel predictors of cost and assess the correlation between cost and interview offers. Results Among 363 otolaryngology applicants, there was a 74% reduction in total costs and a 97% reduction in interview costs in the 2021 cycle vs the 2020 cycle. Significant predictors of total cost among otolaryngology applicants included the number of away rotations ( P < .01), the number of research experiences ( P = .04), and couples matching ( P < .01). During the 2019 and 2020 application cycles, there was a significant association between applicant-reported total spending and number of otolaryngology interview offers ( P < .01), which was not present during the 2021 cycle ( P = .35). Conclusion Number of otolaryngology interview offers appears to be directly correlated with applicant-reported total costs regardless of number of applications or interviews attended, which may be a source of inequality in the application process. There was a drastic reduction in total costs, interview costs, and other costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was likely driven by virtual interviewing and the absence of away rotations.

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“… 10 11 Program directors have suggested that away rotations increased the chance of interviewing and matching at an institution. 12 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Virtual Interviews on the Geographic Distribution of Ophthalmology Match Results in the 2020–2021 Cycle

Rasendran

Rahman

Younis

et al. 2021

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Background Instead of the traditional in-person interviews, the 2020 to 2021 ophthalmology application cycle was conducted with virtual interviews due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019). Little is known about differences between the results of this application cycle with previous years. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the effect of virtual interviews on the geographic distribution of matched ophthalmology residency applicants. Methods Information was collected on the medical school location and matched residency program location for 2020 to 2021 applicants as well as applicants during the 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019 cycles from publicly available Web sites. Pearson chi-squared tests were conducted to determine whether there was a significant difference in the proportion of applicants matching in the same region, state, and institution as their medical schools in the 2020 to 2021 interview cycle when compared with past cycles. Results Three-hundred seventy-five applicants from 2020 to 2021 and 1,190 applicants from 2016 to 2019 application cycles were analyzed. There was no difference in the type of medical school attended (allopathic vs. osteopathic vs. international medical graduate) (p = 0.069), the likelihood of attending a residency program in the same region as the home medical school (54% for 2020–2021 vs. 57% for 2016–2019 applicants, p = 0.3), and the likelihood of attending a residency program in the same state as the home medical school (31 vs. 28%, p = 0.2). There was a higher likelihood of applicants during the 2020 to 2021 cycle matching at a residency program affiliated with their home medical school than previous cycles (23 vs. 18%, p = 0.03). Conclusions Virtual interviews did not increase the likelihood of medical students staying in the same region or state as their medical school, while there was a higher likelihood of applicants matching at residency programs at institutions affiliated with their medical schools. A hybrid approach to maintain geographic diversity of applicants' final residency programs involving virtual interviews with the addition of in-person away rotations is suggested.

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The Impact of Away Rotations on the Ophthalmology Residency Match

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Relative Importance of Applicant Characteristics in Ophthalmology Residency Interview Selection: A Survey of Program Directors

Relative Importance of Applicant Characteristics in Ophthalmology Residency Interview Selection: A Survey of Program Directors

Cost of the Otolaryngology Residency Application Process: Comparison With Other Specialties and Equity Implications

The Impact of Virtual Interviews on the Geographic Distribution of Ophthalmology Match Results in the 2020–2021 Cycle

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