Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 May;130(5):450-458.
doi: 10.1177/0003489420952470. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Otolaryngology Match 2020-21: Survey of Prospective Applicants in the Setting of COVID-19

Said Izreig  1 , Sina J Torabi  1 , David A Kasle  1 , Rahmatullah W Rahmati  1 , R Peter Manes  1
Affiliations

Otolaryngology Match 2020-21: Survey of Prospective Applicants in the Setting of COVID-19

Said Izreig et al. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2021 May.

Abstract

Objectives: To capture the perspectives of candidates applying for otolaryngology residency positions in the 2020-21 cycle, in the context of disruption caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Subjects and methods: Candidates planning to apply to the otolaryngology 2020-21 match were invited to complete a cross-sectional online survey. Distribution was via otomatch.com and word of mouth. Descriptive statistics were performed.

Results: Of 85 eligible responses (estimated 18.9% of all applicants), many have had at least one board examination (71.8%) disrupted. A majority (85.9%) believe evaluation of candidates will change due to the pandemic, and 54.1% report they were now less confident in matching. Female applicants (37.6% of respondents) were found to have significantly higher odds of decreased confidence in matching (OR 2.781 [95% CI 1.045-7.4044]; P = .041). Many report a move to virtual interviews would increase the number of applications submitted (45.9%) and the number of interviews attended (77.6%). Some applicants (36.5%) did not believe residency programs would gather sufficient information about their candidacy to make an informed decision, and most (62.4%) did not believe that they would gather sufficient information to inform their own rank list.

Conclusions: We find that candidates believe their candidacy will be assessed differently in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, are largely less confident in successfully matching, and are planning to apply and interview more broadly. These data are relevant to otolaryngology residency leadership to inform clear dialogue and a smooth transition into an unprecedented application cycle.

Keywords: 2021 match; COVID-19; otolaryngology applications; survey; virtual Interviews.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pandemic disruptions for A) USMLE examinations for all, B) USMLE examinations for original class of 2021, C) core clerkships for all, B) core clerkships for original class of 2021. ANo Step1 disruptions.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Research year plans in A) all responders and B) those from original class of 2021. C) Thematic analysis of motives for not taking a research year. ARespondents disclosed reapplicant status elsewhere in survey.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
A) Responder beliefs regarding changes in candidate evaluation, B) thematic analysis of responder beliefs, and C) applicant beliefs regarding top three factors in judging an applicant pre- and post-pandemic.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
(A) The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on responder confidence, and (B) variations with respect to demographics. AExcluding four re-applicants.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
(A) Virtual interview effect on application number and (B) interviews attended, (C) reasons for attending more virtual interviews, (D) responder beliefs on informed decisions by programs, and (E) by applicants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, et al.. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(8):727-733. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Givi B, Schiff BA, Chinn SB, et al.. Safety recommendations for evaluation and surgery of the head and neck during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020. - PubMed
    1. Kasle DA, Torabi SJ, Savoca EL, Judson BL, Manes RP. Outpatient otolaryngology in the era of COVID-19: a data-driven analysis of practice patterns. Otolaryng Head Neck. 2020. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Association of American Medical Colleges. Guidance on medical students’ participation in direct patient contact activities. https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-04/meded-April-14-Guidance-on-Med.... Accessed May 25, 2020.
    1. National Residency Match Program. National resident matching program, results and data: 2020 main residency match®. https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MM_R.... Accessed May 25, 2020.