Evaluation of Predictors for Successful Residency Match in General Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictive factors for a successful residency match among general surgery appli-cants from 2018 to 2021.& nbsp;DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study of general surgery applicants who matched and went unmatched in match years 2018 to 2021. Applicant characteristics, geographic connections to a program, and away rotations were compared among matched and unmatched applicants.& nbsp;SETTING: Data were sourced from the Texas Seeking Transparency in Applications to Residency initiative for general surgery applicants.& nbsp;PARTICIPANTS: All fourth-year medical students apply-ing in the 2018 to 2021 cycles at participating U.S. medi-cal schools were eligible to respond to the Texas Seeking Transparency in Applications to Residency sur-vey. This study included a total of 1,425 general surgery applicants.& nbsp;RESULTS: Of 1,425 general surgery applicants, 88% matched and 12% went unmatched. Significant predic-tors for a successful match included Step 1 Score > 237 (odds ratio (OR) 1.59 [95% CI 1.15-2.19]; p = 0.005); Step 2 CK Score > 252 (OR 1.88 [95% CI 1.36-2.60]; p < 0.001); > 3 Honored Clerkships (OR 1.84 [95% CI 1.33-2.53]; p < 0.001); Honors in General Surgery Clerkship (OR 1.73 [95% CI 1.33-2.53]; p = 0.001); AOA member-ship (OR 2.14 [95% CI 1.34-3.42]; p = 0.001); > 4 abstracts, posters, or publications (OR 1.66 [95% CI 1.20-2.30]; p=0.002); and > 1 peer-reviewed publications (OR 1.52 [95% CI 1.09-2.12]; p = 0.014). On average, matched applicants completed more away rotations than unmatched applicants (p = 0.004). Overall, 36% of matched applicants reported a geographic connection to the program where they matched.& nbsp;CONCLUSIONS: We found that Step 2 CK score, research productivity, honored clerkships, AOA status, and away rotations are significant predictors for success-fully matching into general surgery residency. Medical schools can encourage students to prepare a holistic application incorporating variables quantified in this study in preparation for the Step 1 reporting change. (C) 2021 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)