TY - JOUR
T1 - Cost of the Otolaryngology Residency Application Process
T2 - Comparison With Other Specialties and Equity Implications
AU - Benjamin, William J.
AU - Lenze, Nicholas R.
AU - Farlow, Janice L.
AU - Mihalic, Angela P.
AU - Bohm, Lauren A.
AU - Kupfer, Robbi A.
N1 - Funding Information:
With subsequent application cycles reintegrating away rotations and the possibility of a return to in-person interviews, it may be pertinent for programs to pursue novel strategies to mitigate the effects that high costs may have on obtaining interviews for otolaryngology applicants. Our findings that away rotations and research experiences predict total cost suggest that efforts in subsidizing or funding those experiences for medical students may be beneficial, especially for those from groups that are historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Multiple avenues of funding currently exist for students, including away rotation grants for URiM students funded by professional organizations and individual institutions. Additional funding for students exists in the form of funded research experiences as well as travel grants for conference attendance. These current approaches may help alleviate the burden of cost for some students, but given the large number of yearly applicants, the initiation of new funding programs or expansion of existing programs may help alleviate cost-related burden for additional students. , -
Publisher Copyright:
© The Authors 2022.
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Objective: This study aims to assess trends in applicant-reported costs of the otolaryngology residency application process between 2019 and 2021 and evaluate the impact of application costs on number of interview offers. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Methods: Survey data from applicants were obtained from the Texas STAR database (Seeking Transparency in Application to Residency) for the years 2019 to 2021. Outcomes included total cost, interview cost, other costs, application fees, and number of interview offers. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used to identify novel predictors of cost and assess the correlation between cost and interview offers. Results: Among 363 otolaryngology applicants, there was a 74% reduction in total costs and a 97% reduction in interview costs in the 2021 cycle vs the 2020 cycle. Significant predictors of total cost among otolaryngology applicants included the number of away rotations (P <.01), the number of research experiences (P =.04), and couples matching (P <.01). During the 2019 and 2020 application cycles, there was a significant association between applicant-reported total spending and number of otolaryngology interview offers (P <.01), which was not present during the 2021 cycle (P =.35). Conclusion: Number of otolaryngology interview offers appears to be directly correlated with applicant-reported total costs regardless of number of applications or interviews attended, which may be a source of inequality in the application process. There was a drastic reduction in total costs, interview costs, and other costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was likely driven by virtual interviewing and the absence of away rotations.
AB - Objective: This study aims to assess trends in applicant-reported costs of the otolaryngology residency application process between 2019 and 2021 and evaluate the impact of application costs on number of interview offers. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. Methods: Survey data from applicants were obtained from the Texas STAR database (Seeking Transparency in Application to Residency) for the years 2019 to 2021. Outcomes included total cost, interview cost, other costs, application fees, and number of interview offers. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used to identify novel predictors of cost and assess the correlation between cost and interview offers. Results: Among 363 otolaryngology applicants, there was a 74% reduction in total costs and a 97% reduction in interview costs in the 2021 cycle vs the 2020 cycle. Significant predictors of total cost among otolaryngology applicants included the number of away rotations (P <.01), the number of research experiences (P =.04), and couples matching (P <.01). During the 2019 and 2020 application cycles, there was a significant association between applicant-reported total spending and number of otolaryngology interview offers (P <.01), which was not present during the 2021 cycle (P =.35). Conclusion: Number of otolaryngology interview offers appears to be directly correlated with applicant-reported total costs regardless of number of applications or interviews attended, which may be a source of inequality in the application process. There was a drastic reduction in total costs, interview costs, and other costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was likely driven by virtual interviewing and the absence of away rotations.
KW - cost
KW - equity
KW - graduate medical education
KW - medical school debt
KW - otolaryngology
KW - residency application
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U2 - 10.1177/2473974X221119150
DO - 10.1177/2473974X221119150
M3 - Article
C2 - 35990815
AN - SCOPUS:85136216671
SN - 2473-974X
VL - 6
JO - OTO Open
JF - OTO Open
IS - 3
ER -