COVID-19 and the Integrated Plastic Surgery Match: An Update on Match Trends by Applicant Location

Abstract

COVID-19 significantly impacted the residency match process. Away rotations and in-person interviews were canceled in 2021, resulting in a geographic shift in integrated plastic surgery match results. Although several of these limitations were lifted during the 2022 cycle, the resulting geographic outcomes have yet to be described. This study aims to determine whether the changes seen during the previous cycle persisted despite loosened restrictions.

Methods: Integrated plastic surgery match results and applicants' home institutions from the 2022 match cycle were determined using publicly available data. Geographic data from this cycle were then compared with pre-COVID-19 match cycles (2016-2020) and the COVID-19-affected 2021 match cycle.

Results: Eighty percent (n = 68) of US integrated plastic surgery programs were included in this study. In 2022, 18.42% of applicants matched at their home institution compared with 25.12% in 2021. There was no significant difference in home, state, or regional match rates between 2022 and the five cycles preceding the pandemic (2016-2020). Combining these data to reflect the non-COVID-19-affected cycles (2016-2020 and 2022) and comparing to the COVID-19-affected cycle (2021), a significant difference in rates of home matches (P = 0.0395) was identified.

Conclusions: A significant increase in home institution match rates was not noted during the 2022 cycle. This return to pre-COVID-19 rates is likely attributed to the loosening of restrictions and more opportunities for interaction between applicants and programs outside of their home institution.

Fig. 1.

Home institution match rates from years 2016–2022 (COVID-affected years in red and partially affected year with additional black diagonal lines).

Fig. 2.

In-state institution match rate from years 2016–2022 (COVID-affected years noted in red and partially-affected year with additional black diagonal lines).

Fig. 3.

Regional institution match rate from years 2016–2022 (COVID-affected years noted in red and partially affected year with additional black diagonal lines).

Fig. 4.

Aggregated home institution match rates from COVID-19-affected (2021) and non-COVID-19-affected (2016–2020 and 2022) years (COVID-affected year noted in red).