Program Signaling in Emergency Medicine: Applicant Trends and Outcomes From the 2023 and 2024 Match

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Residency Application Process
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Program signals were introduced in emergency medicine (EM) residency applications for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 cycles.
• These signals allow applicants to indicate interest in specific programs.
• The impact of signal usage on applicant outcomes requires further understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patterns of program signal utilization in EM residency applications.
• To assess the association between program signal usage and interview offers.
• To determine the relationship between program signal usage and match outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of the Texas STAR database for EM residency applicants (2022-2023 and 2023-2024).
• Analysis of program signal distribution using chi-squared testing.
• Multivariable logistic regression to assess the impact of program signals on interview offers and match success.

Main Results:

• A total of 967 EM applicants were included across two cycles.
• Program signals were highly concentrated, with top programs receiving a significant portion of signals.
• Signaled programs showed higher interview yields, and signal usage was associated with increased odds of receiving an interview offer and matching.

Conclusions:

• Program signals are linked to better odds of securing interviews and matching in EM residency programs.
• Further research is needed to explore how signals influence interview offer likelihood across varying program competitiveness levels.