Ten Year Trends in Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Fellowship Matching
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) fellowships are a recent addition to surgical training.
• Residents often seek advanced MIS training due to perceived insufficient exposure during residency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the growing desirability and competitiveness of MIS fellowship positions.
• Analyze national application data from 2008 to 2019.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fellowship match statistics from The Fellowship Council (2008-2019).
• Compared MIS match rates with other surgical specialties using National Resident Matching Program data.

Main Results:

• MIS fellowship programs increased by 19% (124 to 141), with a 36% rise in applications.
• Applicant match rate for MIS fellowships decreased from 82% to 71%.
• MIS match rates became significantly more competitive compared to other surgical fellowships.

Conclusions:

• US residents demonstrate a clear upward trend in interest for MIS fellowship training.
• The MIS fellowship match is becoming increasingly competitive due to heightened applicant demand.