Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact the Caliber of Trainees Taken During Match 2021? A Survey of General Surgery Residency Program Directors

Background: The cancellation of clinical rotations (CRs) and implementation of virtual interviews (VIs) profoundly affected the residency selection process leading up to the 2021 NRMP Match. The authors investigated how these changes influenced the caliber of applicants taken by general surgery (GS) residency programs from the perspectives of program directors (PDs). Methods: A 14 question, web-based electronic survey was emailed to PDs of ACGME-accredited GS residency programs. Questions sought program characteristics and PDs’ perspectives regarding potential differences in subjective characteristics and clinical skills demonstrated by their 2021 Match class relative to previous resident classes. Results: A total of 75 PDs (27.2%) responded to our survey. Most respondents observed no changes in residents’ fit with their program (72.0%), communication skills (68.0%), responsiveness to clinical instruction and feedback (73.3%), work ethic (73.3%), and rotation evaluations (68.0%). Only 21.3% of PDs believed that VIs negatively impacted their ability to accurately assess applicant intangibles. Conversely, 56.0% of PDs reported that the cancellation of CRs in 2020 negatively affected residents’ clinical competency at the start of residency. At 1-year following the 2021 NRMP Match, 30.7% of PDs reported that the clinical skills exhibited by their 2021 Match class were poorer than previous resident classes. Discussion: Our findings suggest that VIs limited selection committees’ ability to accurately assess applicant’s subjective characteristics to a lesser degree than previously described in the literature. Canceled CRs adversely affected the 2021 Match Class’s clinical skills at the start of residency and at 1 year following the 2021 NRMP Match.