How competitive is my surgical specialty?
BACKGROUND
It is difficult to determine relative competitiveness of surgical training positions: there is no single source for matching process results and specialty-specific competitiveness may change over time. This study was undertaken to address these issues.


METHODS
Numbers of matched/unmatched students and positions offered/filled for surgical specialties were analyzed for specialty-specific trends in match rates and differences among specialty match rates over time.


RESULTS
From 1996 to 2000, match rates increased for neurological surgery, general surgery and otolaryngology; decreased for ophthalmology and urology and were unchanged for orthopedic surgery. Although the "most competitive" and "least competitive" specialties changed each year, unmatched student numbers uniformly exceeded unfilled position numbers.


CONCLUSIONS
Match rates changed over time; no single specialty was consistently most or least competitive. Unmatched students were unlikely to successfully "scramble" for an advanced/categorical training position in any surgical specialty because of the uniformly very high fill rates.
Departments of Surgery and Medical Education, Washington University School of Medicine, 50 Broadview Dr., St. Louis, MO 63105, USA.
Dorothy A
DA
Andriole
Kenneth B
KB
Schechtman
Kathy
K
Ryan
Alison
A
Whelan
Kathryn
K
Diemer
D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014572:Urology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data