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Integrated cardiothoracic surgery match: Trends among applicants compared with other surgical subspecialties

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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate trends, qualifications, race/ethnicity, and gender of applicants to integrated cardiothoracic (CT I-6) residency programs and compare them with other competitive surgical subspecialties.

Methods

Data were collected from the National Residency Matching Program, Electronic Residency Application Service, and Association of American Medical Colleges for thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurological surgery, otolaryngology (ENT), plastic surgery, and vascular surgery for 2010 t0 2020. Applicant gender, race/ethnicity, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) membership, United States Medical Licensing Examination scores, research productivity, and graduation from a top-40 medical school were analyzed.

Results

From 2010 to 2020, CT I-6 experienced growth in postgraduate year 1 positions (280.0%), total applicants (62.2%), and US senior applicants (59.2%). No growth in CT I-6 positions (38) or programs (29) occurred from 2016 to 2020. CT I-6 had the lowest match rates among total applicants (31.7%) and US seniors (41.0%) in 2020. CT I-6 had fewer female applicants compared with ENT (P < .001) and plastic surgery (P < .001), but more than orthopedic surgery (P < .001). Although most CT I-6 US applicants self-identified as White (75.0%), there were more Asian applicants compared with applicants for orthopedic surgery (P < .001), ENT (P < .001), plastic surgery (P < .001), and neurological surgery (P < .01). Matched applicants averaged the highest Step 2-Clinical Knowledge scores (255.1), AOA membership (48.5%), and graduation rates from top-40 medical schools (54.5%).

Conclusions

Despite tremendous growth in positions, CT I-6 has consistently been the most difficult surgical subspecialty to match. CT I-6 has recently attracted an increasingly diverse applicant pool. For the 2019 to 2020 National Residency Matching Program Match Cycle, successful applicants had the highest Step 2-Clinical Knowledge scores, AOA membership rates, and graduation rates from a top-40 medical school among all surgical subspecialties examined.

Section snippets

Methods

The University of Vermont Medical Center institutional review board exempted this study from institutional review on September 4, 2020 (study number CHRMS [Medical]: STUDY00001169).

Number of Applicants and Applications

Thoracic surgery had the fewest number of available positions between 2010 (N = 10) and 2020 (N = 38), compared with all other competitive surgical subspecialties. Furthermore, thoracic surgery had the highest average number of applicants per position between 2010 (N = 7.40) and 2020 (N = 3.16) compared with all other surgical specialties (Figure 1). From 2010 to 2020, thoracic surgery saw increases in overall growth in the number of total applicants and US MD senior applicants by 62.2% and

Discussion

Thoracic surgery has been one of the most competitive surgical residencies to match, yet analysis of trends in the match and qualifications and characteristics of applicants applying to this specialty is limited. Herein, we sought to analyze trends, qualifications, and race/gender characteristics of thoracic surgery applicants and compare them with those of other competitive surgical specialties. Background and key findings of the study are summarized in Video 1 and highlights from the study

Conclusions

Among all of the surgical subspecialties, the CT I-6 surgery residency program has consistently been the most difficult surgical specialty to match despite having the greatest growth rate in numbers of PGY-1 positions for medical students. CT I-6 has attracted a diverse applicant pool compared with that of other surgical subspecialties and has observed a nearly 12% increase in number of female applicants over the past 5 years. Matched integrated thoracic surgery applicants averaged the highest

References (34)

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