Orthopedic Surgery Residency Application Process in 2020 - Has Diversity been Affected?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Diversity and Inclusion

Background:

• Orthopedic surgery is the least diverse medical specialty.
• The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift to virtual rotations and interviews for residency applications in 2020.
• Assessing the impact of these changes on diversity is crucial for addressing existing disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of virtual rotations and interviews on the demographic distribution of orthopedic surgery residency applicants.
• To determine if the virtual application process influenced the proportion of underrepresented minority (URM) and female applicants.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review compared orthopedic surgery residency applicants from the 2018 and 2020 cycles.
• Data on self-reported ethnicity and gender were collected from Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) forms.
• The proportion of URM and female applicants was compared between the two cohorts, focusing on those who met screening criteria and completed interviews.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in the proportion of URM or female applicants who met initial screening criteria or were invited to interview between 2018 and 2020.
• Applicants in 2018 were 2.38 times more likely to be invited to interview.
• Applicants in 2020 were 20.96 times more likely to attend an interview compared to 2018, indicating increased participation in the virtual format.

Conclusions:

• The transition to virtual orthopedic surgery residency applications did not significantly alter the proportion of underrepresented minority applicants at the studied institution.
• Virtual platforms increased the likelihood of applicants being invited to and attending interviews.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects on diversity within orthopedic surgery.