Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application, and Selection Criteria Adaptations, in Times of COVID-19 : A Survey Study

Background:

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education and residency application have faced unprecedented changes. This has forced residency directors to alter their selection criteria in the absence of away rotations and the implementation of nationwide virtual interviews.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to assess how residency directors have adapted their selection criteria in light of this unique application cycle and to look at the effect, and future, of the different changes.

Methods:

A 16-question online survey was disseminated to 31 residency programs gathering data about new opportunities offered this cycle, changes to selection criteria, match outcomes, as well as the number of applicants to their program.

Results:

Twenty-nine respondents completed the survey (94% response rate). There was a significant rise in the number of applications received by programs this cycle (p < 0.05). Programs have unanimously altered their selection processes. The biggest changes in selection criteria were putting more weight into communication from mentors, emails from the applicants, home applicant status, and virtual information session attendance. Some programs used additional application requirements beyond Electronic Residency Application Service, which were often uncompleted, and cut the number of eligible applications by up to 46%. Among the new opportunities offered this cycle, virtual information sessions and social media platforms seem to be the most commonly offered and are anticipated to grow.

Discussion and Conclusion:

Orthopaedic surgery residency continues to become more competitive with a significant rise in the number of applications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid this increasingly demanding virtual application cycle, a holistic application review was more challenging. More weight was put that cycle into communication from faculty mentors, emails from the applicants, home applicant status, and virtual information session attendance. Supplementary applications and virtual informative opportunities are likely to last and change the future of the orthopaedic surgery residency application process.