91. Changes in Applicants and Matriculants Qualities to Thoracic Surgery Fellowships

Objective: The match rate for traditional thoracic surgery fellowships has decreased from 97.5% in 2012 to 70.7% in 2020, with a corresponding program match rate increase from 72.4% in years 2009-2013 to 96.1% in 2020 based on National Resident Matching Program fellowship match placement data. This primarily has resulted from an increase in applicants. Thoracic surgery recently has become one of the most competitive surgical fellowships, possibly permitting greater selectivity among programs in assessing applications for training. We queried whether characteristics of the applicant and the matriculants to traditional thoracic surgery fellowships changed, comparing those from the first half to those from latter half of the past decade.
Methods: Applicant data from the 2008 through 2018 application cycles was extracted from the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) and Graduate Medical Education (GME) Track Resident Survey and stratified by year of application (2008-2014 vs. 2015-2018). Medical education, type of general surgery residency, and research achievements were analyzed. The number of peer-reviewed journal publications and the corresponding impact factor for the journals where they were published were quantified.
Results: There were 697 applicant records and 607 matriculant records in application years 2008-2014, and 530 applicant records and 383 matriculant records in application years 2015-2018 (matriculation rate 87% vs 72%, p<0.0001). The majority of the applicants and matriculants were trained in university-based general surgery residency programs, with no significant difference between earlier and recent application periods. Higher proportions of applicants and matriculants in earlier years were trained in National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Center-affiliated general surgery residency programs and thoracic surgery fellowship affiliated general surgery residency programs compared to recent years. About one third of applicants and matriculants took off time for research during general surgery residency, with no significant difference between earlier and recent application years. Applicants and matriculants of recent years had higher median number of peer-reviewed journal publications than applicants and matriculants of earlier years, with higher impact factor journal publications among applicants and matriculants of recent years (Table).
Conclusions: The applicant pool for thoracic surgery fellowship training has expanded in recent years, reflecting an increased interest among general surgery residents from non academic-oriented programs. The increased interest in thoracic surgery may have led to increased research efforts and publication output among the applicants and matriculants. The selection criteria of programs appear to have morphed in a similar direction, with less focus on traditional academic programs.

Andy Lee (1), Sang Mee Lee (1), Mark Ferguson (1), (1) University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Andy Lee

Abstract Presenter

I am currently a third year general surgery resident at University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. I went to college at UCLA, and obtained my medical degree from UVA. I am interested in pursuing thoracic surgery following for my general surgery training. My clinical interests include benign and malignant diseases of the esophagus and lung, as well as lung transplantation. My research interests include immunology of ex vivo organ perfusion, preoperative risk stratification, and surgical education. I spent a dedicated research year during my residency at University of Chicago. I am a father of a two year old boy and an avid baseball fan. 

Specialties: Multi-Specialty, General Interests of CardioThoracic Surgeons, Education