P4A162: Pediatric Home Program Match Rates and Geographic Relationships Before and After COVID-19

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics adapted new Match process guidelines for the 2021 cycle. To promote safety and eliminate disparities, sub-internship opportunities were cancelled and residency interviews were transitioned to a virtual format. This provided significant cost savings to applicants, but likely impacted students’ ability to evaluate potential programs. Since, there has been a steady yearly increase in the number of programs to which applicants apply, affecting match results at large. Our objective was to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic would impact residents matching at their home institution, as well as determine other factors associated with pediatric home match rates. We hypothesized that changes to the 2020/2021 match year would have an impact on match patterns. Due to decreased in-person interactions, we anticipated that home institution match rates would increase compared to previous years.

Methods: The FRIEDA pediatrics listing, residency websites, and social media sites were used to record basic residency information, available resident demographic, and geographical data including gender, degree, and medical school attended. Military programs and residents completing combined residencies were excluded. The US Census divisions were used to determine program regions. The data was used to evaluate the proportion of pediatric residents who matched at a residency program affiliated with their medical school (home program), and evaluate demographic relationship amongst matched pediatric residents. Residents from the 2020 match cycle were considered before COVID-19, whereas 2021 and 2022 match applicants were considered to have matched after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chi-squared analysis was used to determine significance between variables.

Results: 192 pediatric residencies were initially identified. 168 allopathic, nonmilitary, and non-combined residency programs met the inclusion criteria. 7809 pediatric residents were included in the analysis. Medical School attended was available for 7471 residents. Resident and residency program demographic data is included in Table 1. The 2021 and 2022 match cycles had increased numbers of home matched applicants versus 2020, but this was not found to be statistically significant (Table 2). However, resident gender and residency program region were both found to be associated with pediatric home match rates. Male gender (p 0.039, AR +34) and attendance at programs in the New England, East South Central, West South Central, and West North Central regions (p < 0.001) were found to be associated with matching at one’s home program.

Conclusion: Despite residency application process changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was not a significant rise seen in pediatric home program matches. However, home program matching was found to be associated with resident gender and program location. Further investigation is needed to develop a better understanding of the associations seen between home match rates and resident and program features.