Deconstructing the Process of Applying for Away Rotations in Orthopaedic Surgery

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Background: Orthopaedic surgery is among the most competitive specialties available to medical students in the Match and away rotations have proven essential for improving the chance of matching. Many programs utilize the centralized Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) to accept applications; however, participation is variable and programs may have additional requirements outside of the VSAS application. Methods: All ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) orthopaedic surgery residency programs accepting applications for away rotations in 2016 (n=158) were identified using the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) of the American Medical Association (AMA). Application requirements were recorded for all programs as found within the VSAS application portal and program maintained websites. Programs affiliated with the military were excluded (n=8). Results: Of the 150 programs, 124 (83%) accepted applications using VSAS. Programs that participate in VSAS require the main components pre-listed within the application more consistently than non-VSAS schools: photo (VSAS: 95%, non-VSAS: 35%, p<0.001), CV (VSAS: 86%, non-VSAS: 38%, p<0.001), transcript (VSAS: 93%, non-VSAS: 38%, p<0.001), and immunization form (VSAS: 93%, non-VSAS: 81%, p=0.056). Additionally, non-VSAS programs require USMLE score reports (31%), supplemental applications (46%), and a Letter of Good Standing (23%) more often than VSAS participants (USMLE: 6%, separate application: 2%, Letter of Good Standing: 3%). Conclusion: While most orthopaedic residency programs utilize the centralized VSAS to arrange for visiting medical students, there is considerable variability among application requirements for each elective clerkship. As an orthopaedic community, we should work towards streamlining the process by encouraging 100% participation in VSAS, expanding standard requirements, and eliminating extraneous supporting documents.