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Charting Outcomes in the Hand Surgery Fellowship Match
Jason Silvestre1, Benjamin Chang2, Robert H Wilson1
1Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC.
The Journal of Hand Surgery
|September 5, 2022
Summary
Hand surgery fellowship match rates increased due to more positions and fewer applicants. This trend benefits applicants, but specialty disparities warrant further investigation for future hand surgery training.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
- General Surgery
Background:
- Hand surgery fellowship attracts residents from diverse surgical backgrounds.
- Understanding application trends is crucial for program directors and applicants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze recent trends in application numbers and match rates for hand surgery fellowships.
- To identify changes in unfilled positions across different surgical specialties.
Main Methods:
- Utilized National Resident Matching Program data from 2012-2020.
- Examined trends in applicant numbers, available positions, and match rates.
- Compared unfilled fellowship positions by specialty over time.
Main Results:
- Total applicants decreased by 5.5%, while positions increased by 18.0%, primarily in orthopedic surgery.
- The percentage of unmatched applicants significantly dropped from 24.6% to 5.9%.
- Plastic surgery fellowships had a higher rate of unmatched positions (6.1%) compared to orthopedic surgery (2.2%).
Conclusions:
- Increased training positions and decreased applicants have improved hand surgery fellowship match rates.
- Disparities in match rates between specialties require further research.
- Analyzing match trends aids future applicants and faculty in anticipating outcomes.
