Did More Otolaryngology Residency Applicants Match at Their Home Institutions in 2021? Investigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To compare the proportion of applicants who matched to their home otolaryngology program during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous 5 years. Methods: A “home program match” status was identified for residents in each PGY level and in incoming interns. The “home match proportion” (HMP) was then calculated for each program for each year from 2016 to 2021. The difference in the distribution of home matches between PGY0 and PGY 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were analyzed using the chi-square independence test and Fisher’s exact test. Statistical significance was declared at P < 0.0005, 59 [19.2%] P =.002, 52 [16.9%] P