Surgical Residency Recruitment-Opportunities for Improvement

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Residency Application Process

Background:

• The Association of Program Directors in Surgery convened a panel to address challenges in the general surgery residency application system.
• The panel aimed to discuss the current state and explore alternative evaluation methods for residency applicants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the current general surgery residency application and selection process.
• To identify areas for improvement in applicant evaluation and selection.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for the 2016 Main Residency Match.
• Review of program director reported data on application review depth and interview invitation rates for general surgery positions.

Main Results:

• In 2016, 2345 applicants vied for 1241 general surgery postgraduate year-1 positions.
• Only 33% of applications received an in-depth review, with 62% rejected after minimal review.
• A mere 13% of all applicants were ultimately invited for an interview.

Conclusions:

• The current general surgery residency application process presents significant opportunities for enhancement.
• Recommendations include standardizing letters of recommendation and personal statements.
• Refining the interview process and recalibrating the Medical Student Performance Evaluation are also suggested improvements.