S. C. Daly1, R. A. Jacobson1, J. L. Schmidt1, B. P. Fleming1, A. Krupin1, M. B. Luu1, J. A. Myers1, M. C. Anderson1 1Rush University Medical Center,Chicago, IL, USA
Introduction: Residency applicants commonly complete visiting student electives (VSEs) away from their home institution. VSEs may benefit applicants through exposure to desired programs, and benefit programs by serving as an extended interview. To date, no study has quantified the impact of VSE completion on the residency application process, stratified by specialty. Consequently, medical students apply to VSEs on incomplete, often anecdotal information. As VSEs involve monetary and opportunity costs to students and administrators, data on their utility is vital for student wellbeing and ultimately, success in the Match. As such, the hypothesis of this study is that completion of VSEs correlates with increased odds of matching at a former host site.
Methods: This is a retrospective review of VSE completion and Match data from one institution’s graduating classes from 2008-2014. De-identified records were analyzed for medical school GPA, USMLE exam scores, specialty choice, and site of VSEs. Data collected were analyzed using subgroup analysis, stratified by PGY2 specialty. Data was summarized with standard descriptive statistics.
Results: Students who completed VSEs had higher GPAs and USMLE exam scores than those who did not. Specialty choice had a profound impact on rates of VSE completion. In total, 501 (55.2%) of the 907 records queried showed completion of a VSE, with 0.80 VSEs per applicant. Of these, students who completed one or more VSE matched into a program that had hosted them in 19.6% of cases. General Surgery applicants had a VSE completion rate of 58.8%, with 0.86 VSEs per applicant. 100% of Orthopedic Surgery applicants completed VSEs, with 2.19 per applicant. While General Surgery applicants matched into a host program 16.7% of the time, Orthopedic Surgery applicants matched into a host program at a rate of 44.4%.
Conclusion: General Surgery applicants applied to a mean of over 25 programs from 2008-2014, thus the odds of matching into any program were 1 in 25. However, VSE completion increased the odds of matching into any of 1-3 host programs to roughly 1 in 6. Accordingly, our data suggest that applicants who completed a VSE were more likely to match into an individual host program than to a non-host. This concept can be extrapolated using Orthopedic Surgery match data: applicants who completed more VSEs were more likely to match into a host program than those who completed fewer. Limitations of this comparison include a different applicant pool. Also, data on applicants’ rank lists, which impact match results, is not available. Ultimately, applicants who complete VSEs may possess improved control over the residency match process by increasing their odds of matching into desired programs. Presently, General Surgery applicants complete VSEs at a rate near the all-specialty average. Encouraging future applicants to complete additional VSEs could improve the application experience and increase match rates at desired programs.