The Power of Preference Signaling: A Monumental Shift in the Orthopaedic Surgery Application Process

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency Selection
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• Orthopaedic surgery is a highly competitive US residency specialty with increasing application numbers.
• The rising trend in applications per program and per applicant raised concerns about the efficiency of the selection process.
• The recent implementation of the Preference Signaling Program aimed to streamline applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Preference Signaling Program on orthopaedic surgery residency applications.
• To test the hypothesis that signaling reduces the number of applications sent by applicants and received by programs.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to orthopaedic surgery residency programs participating in the 2023-2024 Electronic Residency Application Service cycle.
• Program directors/administrators responded to a 7-question survey on interview and match statistics.
• Data from 106 programs (66.7% response rate) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• 82% of programs exclusively interviewed applicants who signaled them.
• 92.7% of current interns signaled their matched program, and 84.6% of programs matched only signaled applicants.
• Nearly 90% of programs reported that signaling improved the application process.

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic surgery residency programs predominantly interview and match applicants who utilize the signaling feature.
• Applicants are advised to apply to a maximum of 30 programs and use all available signals for optimal interview prospects.
• The reduction in application volume allows programs to dedicate more time to interested candidates, enhancing the selection efficiency.