Trends in parallel application to emergency medicine residency between 2009 and 2023

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Residency Matching
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• The residency match is a critical, high-stakes period for medical school graduates.
• Parallel applying, or applying to multiple specialties, is a common strategy.
• Understanding trends in parallel applying is essential for applicant support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate trends in parallel applying among Emergency Medicine (EM) residency applicants from 2009 to 2023.
• To analyze how parallel application rates differ across various applicant groups.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).
• Inclusion of 64,095 applicant records (57,572 unique individuals) applying to EM, exclusively or in combination with other specialties.
• Analysis of application numbers and parallel application frequency by applicant type (IMG, USIMG, US allopathic, US osteopathic).

Main Results:

• The percentage of EM applicants parallel applying decreased from 62.0% in 2009 to 43.0% in 2020, then rose to 62.6% in 2023.
• Total applications submitted by all applicants increased, as did the mean number of EM applications by parallel applicants.
• The proportion of applications directed to EM programs decreased, particularly after 2021.

Conclusions:

• Parallel applying in EM residency initially declined but then increased, notably influenced by a rise in international medical graduates parallel applying.
• Further research is needed to understand applicant motivations and the effects of parallel applying.
• Insights are crucial for refining support systems and advising practices in medical education.