PD33-10 COVID-19 DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSAL OF APPLICANTS IN THE 2021 UROLOGY MATCH

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: It was hypothesized that restrictions caused by COVID-19 (virtual interviewing, loss of away rotations) may cause a clustering of applicants matching in regions closer to where they were raised or attended medical school. We utilized data from the urology match to compare dispersal patterns between applicants matching during the COVID-19 cycle (2021) and those matching in the 5 prior application cycles (2016-2020). METHODS: Publicly available data was retrospectively collected on applicants who matched to urology residencies. Variables included longitude/latitude data for each home state, undergraduate institution, medical school, and residency. The primary endpoint was distance (miles, as the crow flies) between medical school and residency. Distances were calculated using haversine formula. Analyses were conducted using R statistics v4.04. Institutional review board approval was not required as data was public information (CFR 45x46.104). RESULTS: Of the 1,965 applicants matching between 2016- 2021, medical school was identified for 1,956 (99.7%) applicants, undergraduate program for 1,551 (79%) applicants, and home state for 1,351 (69%) applicants. Comparing the COVID-19 cycle to the 5 prior cycles (Table 1), there was no significant difference in the median distance between medical school and residency, undergraduate university and residency, or home state and residency. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the proportion of applicants matching at their home institution, matching from medical schools without a home urology program, matching from medical schools with a historically low volume of urology applicants (<1 matched applicant per year), or matching from a D.O. program. Likewise, there was no difference in the proportion of applicants matching in the same state as their medical school, same state in which they were raised, or same AUA section as their medical school (Table 1). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual interviewing and the loss of in-person clinical rotations did not significantly hamper an applicant's ability to match at program outside their geographic region. These data underscore the viability of the virtual application process and may provide reassurance that the environment created by COVID-19 has not constrained the geographic freedom of applicants.