Purpose
To characterize how the nationwide adoption of virtual residency interviews due to the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the geographic distribution of radiology resident matches.
Materials and Methods
University-based interventional (IR) and diagnostic radiology (DR) residency programs were identified using the FREIDA database. Residency match results from 2017-2021, and publicly available applicant data, including medical school, residency program, and year of match, were obtained from official residency program websites. Residency program rankings were obtained from Doximity. Medical schools and residency programs were categorized by US census regions (Northeast, West, South, Midwest). Logistic regression was conducted to determine the odds of matching within the same geographic region as one’s medical school, before and after the adoption of virtual interviews (initiated during the 2020-2021 cycle). Doximity program ranking was included as a regression covariate.
Results
4358 radiology residents (88% diagnostic, 12% interventional) matched at 102 university-based radiology programs during the study period. 71% (n = 3115 residents, 28% female) had data available for analysis. During the study period, 15.0% of DR and 16.0% of IR residents matched at their medical school institutions; 56.3% of DR and 49.3% of IR residents matched in the same geographic region as their medical school. The odds of matching in the same geographic region as one’s medical school were not associated with virtual vs. in-person interview status for either IR (OR 1.11, P = 0.08) or DR residents (OR 1.01, P = 0.58). Those who matched at a top-20 ranked radiology program had significantly decreased odds of remaining in the same census region as their medical school, for both DR (OR 0.87, 95% CI [0.84, 0.91], P< 0.001) and IR (OR 0.85, 95% CI [0.77, 0.94], P< 0.001) residents.
Conclusion
Approximately half of DR and IR residents matched in the same geographic region as their medical school. The shift to virtual residency interviews did not significantly affect the geographic distribution of residency matches. Top-ranked residency programs tend to match more regionally diverse applicants.