Impact of Virtual Interviews on Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Match: An Analysis of National Data.

Background: Internal Medicine residents have historically expressed hesitancy in pursuing a career in pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM). However, recent studies have demonstrated newfound competitiveness. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global outbreak prompted the implementation of a virtual interviewing model for PCCM fellowship match. The effect of this new paradigm on PCCM match results has not been studied previously. Objective: With the shift to virtual interviewing, we aim to determine how this new method of interviewing may influence the selection of candidates for fellowship training programs. Methods: We acquired data of 4,333 applicants ranking PCCM for the years 2017-2021 from the National Resident Matching Program and the Electronic Residency Application Service websites for the years 2017-2021. Chi-square (χ2) analysis of the applicants' demographics and the percentage of applicants matching at their first choice versus those who matched at lower than their third-choice program before and after the implementation of virtual interviews season was performed. Results: The matching probability for the U.S. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine significantly increased after the implementation of virtual interviews compared with the years 2017-2020 (χ2 = 8.569; P = 0.003). The matching probability remained unchanged for U.S. Doctors of Medicine (χ2 = 2.448; P = 0.118). Overall, an applicant's probability of matching at their first choice has significantly decreased after the virtual interview format (χ2 = 4.14; P = 0.04). Conversely, the probability of matching at a program that is lower than the third choice has significantly increased (χ2 = 11.039; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study provides evidence regarding the effect of the virtual interview format on PCCM match results. Strikingly, applicants are more likely to match at lower-ranked programs in their rank list after the implementation of the virtual interview process. These results can be helpful for both programs and applicants, to guide their future expectations and decisions while going through the interview process.

Trends in the Main Residency Match From 2007 to 2020.

Background The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 was recently changed from a numerically scored grading system to a pass/fail grading system. Until late 2024, there will be no formal studies about the impact that the grading change will have on the match process. To thoroughly assess the impact that this change will have on the overall match process, it is important to look at what the trends in applicants' objective measures have been in the years before the change. We aim to systematically evaluate the rates of change and mean trend of objective metrics found in residency applications in the main residency match.  Methods Objective medical student data of matched and unmatched applicants were queried from the National Matching Program's Charting Outcomes in the Match Reports for the 2007 to 2020 application cycles. Data were used to create linear regression analyses and statistical tests were performed to evaluate trends over time. Results For matched applicants, there were statistically significant positive trends for the mean number of contiguous ranks (m=0.33, p<0.01), having another non-doctoral graduate degree (m=0.67, p<0.01), membership to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor society (m=0.22, p<0.01), mean USMLE Step 1 score (m=1.01, p<0.01), mean USMLE Step 2 score (m=1.68, p<0.01), mean number of research experiences (m=0.12, p<0.01), and mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications (m=0.34, p<0.01). Additionally, there was a statistically significant negative trend for the percentage who graduated from a top 40 National Institutes of Health-funded medical school (m=-0.41, p<0.01). For unmatched applicants, there were statistically significant positive trends for having another non-doctoral graduate degree (m=0.83, p<0.01), mean USMLE Step 1 score (m=1.26, p<0.01), mean USMLE Step 2 score (m=2.27, p<0.01), mean number of research experiences (m=0.13, p<0.01), and mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications (m=0.33, p<0.01). Conclusion Our study shows that there have been statistically significant increases in almost all objective measures in the residency application. Recent changes to the abstracts, presentations, and publications on the Step 1 scoring system will force almost all residency programs to overhaul their application process and potentially increase reliance on Step 2, research, and other nonobjective factors. For students early in their medical education, emphasis on Step 2 and research will yield increased chances of matching into residency in the future.

Trends in Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Match: An Analysis of National Resident Matching Program Data.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical Critical Care (SCC) fellowship applications are made through March-July the year prior to the fellowship, while the match process takes place through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). There is paucity of high quality data on matching trends in SCC fellowship in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all applicants in the SCC match over a period of fifteen years (2009-2023). Publicly published data about the SCC fellowship match were retrieved from the NRMP online portal. Mann Kendall trend test was used to obtain a Tau statistic and p-values for temporal trends over time. Chi-square test was used to investigate association between categorical variables. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2023, the number of SCC fellowship positions increased from 143 to 340 (138% increase) while the number of applicants rose from 95 to 289 (204% increase). The overall match rate for applicants significantly rose from 89.5% to 93.4% (7.7% increase; t = 0.600, p = 0.002). The percentage of positions filled also increased from 59.4% in 2009 to 79.4% in 2023. The match rate over the past five years (2019-2023) was 90.8%. US-MD applicants had a significantly higher 94.8% match rate throughout the study period than non-US MD applicants (94.8% vs. 87.3%, p<0.001). While the match rate for US-MD applicants has stayed consistent from 2009 to 2023 (τ = 0.371, p = 0.054), the match rate for non-US-MD applicants increased from 77.3% in 2009 to 86.9% in 2023 (τ = 0.771, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: SCC fellowship continues to grow with more positions and applicants. Match rates into SCC fellowships have increased over the past fifteen years, primarily helping non-US MDs match successfully.