Objective: This study investigates interview offer distribution among applicants of varying levels of competitiveness in a residency application cycle with and without preference signaling.
Design and setting: Self-reported applicant survey data evaluating the 2021-2022 Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency signal experience was used to investigate the current distribution of interview offers among applicants. These data then informed a model to assess the distribution of interview offers without signaling in place.
Participants: 260 (47% response rate) Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency applicants who responded to the survey.
Results: Applicants were divided into four quartiles based on their overall interview offer rate (self-reported number of interviews/self-reported number of applications submitted). Applicants in the top quartile received fewer interview offers while applicants in all other quartiles received more interview offers when signaling was introduced.
Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that when signaling is introduced, interviews are more evenly distributed among applicants.
Keywords: graduate medical education, signaling; interviews; postgraduate medical education; residency match; residency selection.
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