Figure Legends
Figure 1. Medical graduate applications to U.S. otolaryngology programs as of February 15th of each year demonstrated a steady decline from 2014–2018, and a significant recovery followed by continued growth in 2019–2021. Match rate success followed an opposite trend, with steady growth from 2014–2018, and a marked drop followed by a consistent decline from 2019–2021. New application requirements including the program-specific paragraph (PSP) and Otolaryngology Resident Talent Assessment (ORTA) phone interview were implemented in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The PSP became optional in 2018 and starting in 2019, the ORTA was conducted post-Match.
Figure 2. The program-specific paragraph (PSP) was regarded as a negative influence in 51.3% (n = 58/113) of otolaryngology residents (slight negative: 41.6%, n = 47/113; major negative: 9.7%, n = 11/113). The PSP was estimated to similarly impact non-otolaryngology medical students who applied to a different specialty (slight negative: 43.2%, n = 41/95; major negative: 8.7%, n = 8/92).
Figure 3. The Otolaryngology Resident Talent Assessment (ORTA) phone interview was regarded as a negative influence in 59.8% (n = 64/107) of otolaryngology residents (slight negative: 40.2%, n = 43/107; major negative: 19.6%, n = 21/107). The ORTA interview was estimated as having a more negative influence on otolaryngology residents than on non-otolaryngology medical students who applied to a different specialty (overall negative: 47.4%, n = 45/95; slight negative: 38.9%, n = 37/95; major negative: 8.4%, n = 8/95; P =0.05).
Figure 4. Specialty reputation as difficult to match into was regarded as a negative influence in 45.2% (n = 52/115) of otolaryngology residents (slight negative: 33.0%, n = 38/115; major negative: 12.2%, n = 14/115). Reputation was estimated to have a more negative influence on non-otolaryngology medical students who applied to a different specialty compared to otolaryngology residents (overall negative: 78.8%, n = 82/104; slight negative: 25.0%, n = 26/104; major negative: 53.8%, n = 56/104; P < 0.001).
Figure 5. Advice from program directors was viewed as a negative influence in 6.5% (n = 7/107) of otolaryngology residents (slight negative: 5.6%, n = 6/107; major negative: 0.9%, n = 1/107). This advice was estimated to have a more negative influence on non-otolaryngology medical students who applied to a different specialty (overall negative: 31.4%, n = 27/86; slight negative: 26.7%, n = 23/86; major negative: 4.7%, n = 4/86; P < 0.001).