Open AccessGeographic Trends in the Otolaryngology Match (2016‐2020)
Author(s) -
Bernstein Jeffrey D.,
Shahrestani Shane,
Shahrvini Bita,
Watson Deborah
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
oto open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2473-974X
DOI - 10.1177/2473974x211022611
Subject(s) - otorhinolaryngology , context (archaeology) , demography , odds , medicine , odds ratio , matching (statistics) , logistic regression , family medicine , geography , surgery , sociology , archaeology , pathology
Objective Presenting geographic matching trends over 5 match cycles (2016‐2020) to serve as a context for changes in residency match outcomes due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Study Design Retrospective review. Setting Single academic institution‐affiliated otolaryngology–head and neck surgery residency program. Methods Residency match outcomes for all applicants to our institution (2015‐2019) were collected from the National Residency Matching Program, including medical school and matched program. Matches were categorized as home program, home region, or out of region and sorted by US geographic region. Statistical analysis included frequencies, totals, χ 2 testing, and binary logistic regression. Results From 2016 to 2020, the US MD senior match rate was 84.9%: 18.9% to home programs, 35.7% to home region, and 45.3% to out of region. Rates were similar across regions and decreased over time. Westerners matched to home programs more than Southerners or Midwesterners (27.5% vs 16.0% and 16.0%, P <. 01). Southerners and Westerners were more likely to match within their regions (South: 63.1%, P =. 011, odds ratio [OR] = 1.296, 95% CI, 1.060‐1.584; West: 42.0%, P =. 018, OR = 1.462, 95% CI, 1.066‐2.004). Matching from out of region was more likely in the West and less likely in the South (West: 58.0%, P =. 017, OR = 1.379, 95% CI, 1.059‐1.796; South: 36.9%, P <. 001, OR = 0.584, 95% CI, 0.47‐0.727). Conclusion From 2016 to 2020 in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, about 1 in 5 matches were to home institutions, a trend that appeared to be more common in the West. Over 4 out of 5 trainees match to nonhome programs, and nearly half relocate to a new region for training. Changes to travel, rotations, and interviews due to COVID‐19 may influence these trends.