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Comprehensive Otolaryngology

(244) Impact of Away Rotations on Geographic Match Outcomes

Monday, October 2, 2023
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • William J. Benjamin, MPH

    Medical Student
    University of Michigan Medical School
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Nicholas R. Lenze, MD MPH

    Resident
    University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

  • Lauren A. Bohm, MD

    Assistant Professor
    University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

  • Marc C. Thorne, MD, MPH

    Professor and Associate Chair for Education and Quality, Division Chief
    University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

  • AM

    Angela P. Mihalic, MD

    Professor
    UT Southwestern Medical Center - Department of Pediatrics, USA

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Robbi A. Kupfer, MD

    Associate Professor
    University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Disclosure(s):
William J. Benjamin, MPH: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Nicholas R. Lenze, MD MPH: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Lauren A. Bohm, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Marc C. Thorne, MD, MPH: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Robbi A. Kupfer, MD: No relevant relationships to disclose.


Introduction: We aim to assess whether away rotations improve residency application outcomes with particular focus on whether they improve interview and match outcomes in geographic regions outside of where applicants went to medical school.

Methods: Otolaryngology applicants during the 2018-2020 and 2022 cycles who responded to the Texas Seeking Transparency in Application to Residency (STAR) survey were identified. The Texas STAR survey reports the geographic region of each participant’s school (Northeast (NE), South (S), Central (C), and West (W)). The primary outcome was number of interview offers. Chi-square testing, Wilcoxon-rank sum testing, and logistic regression models were used to examine associations with away rotations across geographic regions excluding applicants home region.

Results: Of 455 otolaryngology applicants in the sample, 402 (90.3%) completed an away rotation. Completing an away rotation was significantly associated with match success (82.8% vs. 72.1%, p< 0.01). Applicants who completed an away rotation in a geographic region outside of their home region had significantly more interview offers from that region than those who did not (NE: 4.2 vs. 2.9; S: 4.3 vs. 3.0; C: 4.8 vs. 3.0; W: 3.8 vs. 1.6, p< 0.01 for all). Across all regions, applications to a geographic region where an away rotation was completed, excluding home region, were associated with higher odds of receiving an interview from or matching to programs within that region. Notably, when excluding programs where an away rotation was completed, completing an away rotation in a region only increased the odds of receiving in interview in the central and western regions (C: OR 1.2 (1.1, 1.5); W OR 1.9 (1.7, 2.2); p< 0.01 for both), and the odds of matching in the western region (OR: 2.9 (1.2, 7.4) p< 0.01).

Conclusions: Away rotations may be associated with more total interview offers in the region they were completed. Further, they may improve an applicant’s chances of interviewing and matching at a specific program and may improve application outcomes within that program’s region.