TY - JOUR
T1 - How competitive is my surgical specialty?
AU - Andriole, Dorothy A.
AU - Schechtman, Kenneth B.
AU - Ryan, Kathy
AU - Whelan, Alison
AU - Diemer, Kathryn
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Background: It is difficult to determine relative competitiveness of surgical training positions: there is no single source for matching process results and specialty-specific competitiveness may change over time. This study was undertaken to address these issues. Methods: Numbers of matched/unmatched students and positions offered/filled for surgical specialties were analyzed for specialty-specific trends in match rates and differences among specialty match rates over time. Results: From 1996 to 2000, match rates increased for neurological surgery, general surgery and otolaryngology; decreased for ophthalmology and urology and were unchanged for orthopedic surgery. Although the "most competitive" and "least competitive" specialties changed each year, unmatched student numbers uniformly exceeded unfilled position numbers. Conclusions: Match rates changed over time; no single specialty was consistently most or least competitive. Unmatched students were unlikely to successfully "scramble" for an advanced/categorical training position in any surgical specialty because of the uniformly very high fill rates.
AB - Background: It is difficult to determine relative competitiveness of surgical training positions: there is no single source for matching process results and specialty-specific competitiveness may change over time. This study was undertaken to address these issues. Methods: Numbers of matched/unmatched students and positions offered/filled for surgical specialties were analyzed for specialty-specific trends in match rates and differences among specialty match rates over time. Results: From 1996 to 2000, match rates increased for neurological surgery, general surgery and otolaryngology; decreased for ophthalmology and urology and were unchanged for orthopedic surgery. Although the "most competitive" and "least competitive" specialties changed each year, unmatched student numbers uniformly exceeded unfilled position numbers. Conclusions: Match rates changed over time; no single specialty was consistently most or least competitive. Unmatched students were unlikely to successfully "scramble" for an advanced/categorical training position in any surgical specialty because of the uniformly very high fill rates.
KW - Graduate medical education
KW - National Resident Matching Program
KW - Residency matching process
KW - Surgical education
KW - Surgical training
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036067132&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0002-9610(02)00890-5
DO - 10.1016/S0002-9610(02)00890-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 12135709
AN - SCOPUS:0036067132
SN - 0002-9610
VL - 184
SP - 1
EP - 5
JO - American journal of surgery
JF - American journal of surgery
IS - 1
ER -