Materials and Methods
Annual National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP)
reports from 2014–2021 were examined.2 Data collected
on application statistics included number of otolaryngology applicants,
number of otolaryngology matches, and match rate for each application
year. Continuous variable significance testing was performed in Excel
(Redmond, WA) using Student’s t-tests between application years.
A secondary survey was designed to assess otolaryngology resident
perceptions on the impact of PSP, ORTA phone interview, reputation that
it is difficult to match into otolaryngology, number of medical school
classmates applying to otolaryngology, and program director (PD) advice
on decision to apply to otolaryngology. In addition, otolaryngology
residents were asked about their perceptions of these factors on medical
school classmates that considered otolaryngology but applied to another
specialty instead (“non-otolaryngology”). Following Institutional
Review Board approval, the survey was circulated to all otolaryngology
PDs for distribution to current post-graduate year one and two
(PGY-1/PGY-2) otolaryngology residents beginning residency in 2017–2018
or 2018–2019. Survey responses were collected via SurveyMonkey (Santa
Mateo, CA) from July–September 2018.
Descriptive statistics were performed in Excel (Redmond, WA). Fisher’s
exact test (Stata/SE 13.1, StataCorp, College Station, TX) was used to
compare responses to questions about the impact of factors (PSP, ORTA
phone interview, difficult reputation, and PD advice) on resident
decisions to apply to otolaryngology with responses estimating the
influence of each of these factors on classmates’ decisions to not apply
to otolaryngology.