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Ferry AM, Asaad M, Rajesh A, Grush AE, Elmorsi R, Burns HR, Mohan VC, Bauer DF, Maricevich RS. Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact the Caliber of Trainees Taken During Match 2021? A Survey of General Surgery Residency Program Directors. Am Surg 2023; 89:5219-5224. [PMID: 36459702 PMCID: PMC9720422 DOI: 10.1177/00031348221144637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cancellation of clinical rotations (CRs) and implementation of virtual interviews (VIs) profoundly affected the residency selection process leading up to the 2021 NRMP Match. The authors investigated how these changes influenced the caliber of applicants taken by general surgery (GS) residency programs from the perspectives of program directors (PDs). METHODS A 14 question, web-based electronic survey was emailed to PDs of ACGME-accredited GS residency programs. Questions sought program characteristics and PDs' perspectives regarding potential differences in subjective characteristics and clinical skills demonstrated by their 2021 Match class relative to previous resident classes. RESULTS A total of 75 PDs (27.2%) responded to our survey. Most respondents observed no changes in residents' fit with their program (72.0%), communication skills (68.0%), responsiveness to clinical instruction and feedback (73.3%), work ethic (73.3%), and rotation evaluations (68.0%). Only 21.3% of PDs believed that VIs negatively impacted their ability to accurately assess applicant intangibles. Conversely, 56.0% of PDs reported that the cancellation of CRs in 2020 negatively affected residents' clinical competency at the start of residency. At 1-year following the 2021 NRMP Match, 30.7% of PDs reported that the clinical skills exhibited by their 2021 Match class were poorer than previous resident classes. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that VIs limited selection committees' ability to accurately assess applicant's subjective characteristics to a lesser degree than previously described in the literature. Canceled CRs adversely affected the 2021 Match Class's clinical skills at the start of residency and at 1 year following the 2021 NRMP Match.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Ferry
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Malke Asaad
- Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aashish Rajesh
- Department of Surgery, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Andrew E. Grush
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rami Elmorsi
- Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt
| | - Heather R. Burns
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vamsi C. Mohan
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David F. Bauer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Renata S. Maricevich
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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