Peer-Reviewed Publications by Successfully Matched Orthopedic Surgery Residency Applicants in the 2022-2023 Match

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopaedic Surgery Research
• Residency Admissions

Background:

• The Orthopaedic Surgery Match is highly competitive, with limited residency positions available.
• The transition of the USMLE Step 1 Exam to a pass/fail format reduces objective applicant evaluation metrics.
• There is a need for data to assess applicant competitiveness in orthopaedic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the average number of PubMed-accepted publications for successfully matched orthopaedic surgery residency applicants.
• To establish a benchmark for research output relevant to residency applications.

Main Methods:

• Residency programs were identified using the Doximity Residency Navigator.
• PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for publications authored by matched orthopaedic surgery interns.
• Publication counts, authorship order, and relevance to orthopaedic surgery were recorded.

Main Results:

• A total of 877 interns had a mean of 3.30 ± 5.27 PubMed publications.
• Successful applicants averaged approximately 3 publications, with a wide range observed.
• No significant differences in publication numbers were found based on degree, sex, or program rank; 27.3% of matched applicants had no publications.

Conclusions:

• The average publication count can serve as a reference for future orthopaedic surgery applicants and residency programs.
• This data aids in evaluating research productivity in the context of residency selection.
• Understanding publication benchmarks is crucial for navigating the competitive orthopaedic surgery match.