title: Increasing Competitiveness for an Otolaryngology Residency: Where We Are and Concerns about the Future.
abstract: For graduating medical students, securing a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery has become exceedingly difficult. This commentary explores the ways that applicants and residency programs are reacting to the increasing competitiveness in applying to, interviewing for, and matching to an otolaryngology residency. The commonly held perceptions of applicants are compared to perspectives held by residency program directors and resident selection committees. Unintended consequences of the growing trend for medical students to add a research year to their curriculum are presented. Some cautions and suggestions about how to improve the application and selection process are offered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Alyson B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Riedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Kenneth.Grundfast@bmc.org.
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Grundfast
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000639:trends*; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical
keywords: academic otolaryngology; alternative medical school curriculum; match; medical student education; residency selection; student research