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DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756199
Trends in Cornea Fellowship Applications and Applicant Characteristics: A San Francisco Match Analysis
Support of Funding This study was supported by grant P30EY001765 (Wilmer Biostatistics Core Grant) from the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
Abstract
Purpose We investigate trends in cornea fellowship positions filled over time and applicant characteristics associated with matching into cornea fellowship.
Methods Characteristics of cornea fellowship applicants were assessed using deidentified 2010 to 2017 San Francisco (SF) Match data. Publicly available SF Match cornea fellowship data including the number of participating programs, number of positions offered, number of positions filled, percentage of positions filled, and number of vacancies from 2014 to 2019 were also analyzed as data from 2010 to 2013 were unavailable.
Results From 2014 to 2019, the number of cornea fellowship programs increased by 11.3% (mean 2.3% per year, p = 0.006) and the number of positions offered increased by 7.7% (mean 1.4% per year, p = 0.065). Of 1,390 applicants from 2010 to 2017, 589 (42.4%) matched into cornea. After controlling for potential covariates, graduation from a U.S residency program (odds ratio [OR]: 6.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.05–9.35, p < 0.001) and a greater number of interviews completed (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.29–1.42, p < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of cornea fellowship match. A greater number of applied programs (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.98, p < 0.001) was associated with decreased odds of matching into cornea fellowship. The proportion of applicants matching into cornea fellowship increased until 30 applications.
Conclusions The number of cornea fellowship programs and positions increased from 2014 to 2019. Graduation from a U.S residency program and a greater number of interviews completed were associated with an increased likelihood of cornea fellowship match. Unlike applying to any ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship, applying to greater than 30 cornea fellowship programs was associated with decreased odds of matching.
Over the last 15 years, the percentage of U.S. ophthalmology residents pursuing fellowship has nearly doubled.[1] As reported by the San Francisco (SF) Match, the number of fellowship positions has also increased with 433 fellowship positions offered in 2019, a 13% increase from 2014.[2] Cornea fellowship, in particular, is highly sought after by ophthalmology residents. In fact, it is the second most common ophthalmic subspecialty pursued after retina.[2] From 2014 to 2019, an average of 94 cornea fellowship positions were offered annually.[2] In 2019, over 86% of positions offered were filled.[3]
Several studies have evaluated the characteristics of applicants who successfully match into ophthalmology residency,[4] [5] [6] but few such studies exist for successful ophthalmology fellowship applicants.[7] [8] Furthermore, these findings are largely based on surveys of fellowship program directors.[7] [8] In contrast, a recent study used deidentified data from the SF Match and found that the following characteristics are associated with a successful match across all ophthalmology fellowships: being a U.S. ophthalmology residency graduate, a graduate from a top 10 ophthalmology residency program, a U.S. medical school graduate, and ranking a greater number of programs.[3]
To our knowledge, no studies to date have investigated cornea fellowship applicant characteristics or factors associated with successfully matching into a cornea fellowship program. Determining these factors may be of interest to prospective cornea fellowship applicants. Moreover, this study may offer valuable insight to residency and fellowship program directors. Thus, the purpose of our project is to address this knowledge gap by studying characteristics of cornea fellowship applicants and examine factors associated with a successful cornea fellowship match.
Methods
This study was considered exempt by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board.
Deidentified Data
Deidentified applicant data were provided by the SF Match for match cycles from 2010 to 2017. Characteristics analyzed included application year, whether the applicant graduated from a residency program that ranked among the U.S. News and World Report's top 10 hospitals for ophthalmology that match year, whether the applicant graduated from a U.S. residency program, whether the applicant graduated from a U.S., Canadian, or international medical school, visa status, whether the applicant graduated with an allopathic medical degree, the number of applications submitted, the number of interviews completed, the number of programs ranked, and scores from United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step 1, 2, and 3. Visa status referred to the country where applicants held the visa, not their country of citizenship. Other visa referred to visas from countries other than the United States and Canada. Data on sex of applicants were not available during this time period. Applicants who made “inquiries only but did not pay,” withdrew from the match, or had incomplete applications were excluded from all analyses.
Applicants were stratified by match status (matched in cornea vs. did not match), and applicant characteristics were compared between groups. Cornea fellowships not including anterior segment and refractive fellowships were used in our analysis.
Matched applicants were further stratified by match year, and characteristics were compared across years 2010 to 2017. Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal–Wallis test was used, as applicable, for continuous variables.
A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the effects of other covariates on an applicant's odds of matching into cornea fellowship. The following covariates were used: location of graduating residency program (inside or outside of the U.S.), ophthalmology residency program ranking (within or out of the top 10), medical degree (allopathic or not), the number of applications submitted, the number of interviews completed, and scores from USMLE step exams 1, 2, and 3. Covariates were evaluated for the degree of collinearity in a pairwise fashion. Pearson's correlation coefficient of magnitude ≥ 0.7 was considered suggestive of collinearity. Due to the correlation with the number of interviews, the number of programs ranked was not included in the regression analyses. Applicant visa status and medical school location were not included in the regression analyses due to correlation with residency program location.
Publicly Available Data
Publicly available cornea fellowship data from the SF Match for match years 2014 to 2019 were analyzed. Data from 2010 to 2013 were not available. A linear regression model on log-transformed response variables was used to estimate the annual change in the number of participating programs, number of positions offered, number of positions filled, percentage of positions filled, and number of vacancies.
All statistical analyses were completed using RStudio (R version 4.0.2) with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results
From 2014 to 2019, the number of programs participating in the cornea fellowship match increased by 11.3% from 62 to 69 (mean 2.3% per year, p = 0.006), the number of cornea fellowship positions offered increased by 7.7% from 91 to 98 (mean 1.4% per year, p = 0.065), the number of cornea fellowship positions filled increased by 4.9% from 81 to 85 (mean 0.8% per year, p = 0.548), the number of vacant cornea fellowship positions increased by 30.0% from 10 to 13 (mean 4.6% per year, p = 0.485), and the percentage of cornea fellowship positions filled decreased by 2.6% from 89.0 to 86.7% (mean 0.5% per year, p = 0.541; [Table 1]).
|
Category |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
Overall percentage change |
Percentage of change per year[a] |
p-Value[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Participating programs (n) |
62 |
64 |
63 |
67 |
69 |
69 |
11.3 |
2.3 |
0.006 |
|
Positions offered (n) |
91 |
91 |
91 |
97 |
93 |
98 |
7.7 |
1.4 |
0.065 |
|
Positions filled (n) |
81 |
81 |
78 |
90 |
79 |
85 |
4.9 |
0.8 |
0.548 |
|
Vacancies (n) |
10 |
10 |
13 |
7 |
14 |
13 |
30.0 |
4.6 |
0.485 |
|
Percentage of positions filled |
89.0% |
89.0% |
85.7% |
92.8% |
84.9% |
86.7% |
−2.6 |
0.5 |
0.541 |
Note: Statistical significance indicated in bold.
a Percentage change per year and p-values calculated using linear regression models on log-transformed response variables, where percentage change = 100*(exp(coefficient) − 1).
Of 1,541 fellowship applicants, 151 (9.8%) participants were excluded due to missing information regarding whether they graduated from a residency program that ranked among the U.S. News and World Report's top 10 hospitals for ophthalmology that match year. All other variables had no missing data. Of 1,390 fellowship applicants included in this analysis, 589 (42.4%) matched into cornea. Applicants who matched into cornea fellowship in the years 2010 to 2017 match cycles were more likely than their unmatched counterparts to have graduated from a top 10 ophthalmology program (10.9 vs. 4.5%, p < 0.001), a U.S. residency program (93.4 vs. 42.2%, p < 0.001), and a U.S. medical school (91.1 vs. 39.1%, p < 0.001) ([Table 2]). Matched applicants were more likely to be U.S. citizens (90.8 vs. 37.2%, p < 0.001) and less likely to be international medical graduates (IMGs, 92.8 vs. 42.8%, p < 0.001). Matched applicants also applied to more programs (20 vs. 9, p < 0.001), interviewed at more programs (9 vs. 1, p < 0.001), and ranked more programs (9 vs. 1, p < 0.001). Finally, matched applicants scored higher on USMLE step 1 (238 vs. 227, p < 0.001), step 2 (242 vs. 230, p < 0.001), and step 3 (225 vs. 217, p < 0.001) compared with unmatched applicants.
|
Total number of applicants applying for fellowship |
Number of applicants who did not match (%) |
Number of applicants who matched in cornea (%) |
p-Value[a] |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
n = 1,390 |
n = 801[b] |
n = 589[b] |
|||
|
Match year, n (%) |
2010 |
196 |
117 (59.7) |
79 (40.3) |
0.808 |
|
2011 |
187 |
110 (58.8) |
77 (41.2) |
||
|
2012 |
197 |
117 (59.4) |
80 (40.6) |
||
|
2013 |
181 |
108 (59.7) |
73 (40.3) |
||
|
2014 |
162 |
94 (58.0) |
68 (42.0) |
||
|
2015 |
156 |
90 (57.7) |
66 (42.3) |
||
|
2016 |
145 |
78 (53.8) |
67 (46.2) |
||
|
2017 |
166 |
87 (52.4) |
79 (47.6) |
||
|
Top 10 ophthalmology program, n (%) |
No |
1,290 |
765 (59.3) |
525 (40.7) |
<0.001 |
|
Yes |
100 |
36 (36.0) |
64 (64.0) |
||
|
U.S. residency, n (%) |
No |
502 |
463 (92.2) |
39 (7.8) |
<0.001 |
|
Yes |
888 |
338 (38.1) |
550 (61.9) |
||
|
U.S. medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
516 |
464 (89.9) |
52 (10.1) |
<0.001 |
|
Yes |
832 |
298 (35.8) |
534 (64.2) |
||
|
Canada medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
832 |
298 (35.8) |
534 (64.2) |
<0.001 |
|
Yes |
36 |
26 (72.2) |
10 (27.8) |
||
|
International medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
868 |
324 (37.3) |
544 (62.7) |
<0.001 |
|
Yes |
475 |
433 (91.2) |
42 (8.8) |
||
|
Visa status, n (%) |
U.S. |
833 |
298 (35.8) |
535 (64.2) |
<0.001 |
|
Canadian |
36 |
26 (72.2) |
10 (27.8) |
||
|
Other |
521 |
477 (91.6) |
44 (8.4) |
||
|
Allopathic medical degree, n (%) |
No |
40 |
27 (67.5) |
13 (32.5) |
0.263 |
|
Yes |
1,350 |
774 (57.3) |
576 (42.7) |
||
|
Number of applications distributed, median (IQR) |
9 (4, 19) |
20 (12, 29) |
<0.001 |
||
|
Number of interviews marked completed, median (IQR) |
1 (0, 5) |
9 (6, 12) |
<0.001 |
||
|
Number of programs on applicant's rank list, median (IQR) |
1 (0, 4) |
9 (6, 11) |
<0.001 |
||
|
USMLE step 1 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
227 (214, 239) |
238 (228, 248) |
<0.001 |
||
|
USMLE step 2 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
230 (214, 243) |
242 (230, 253) |
<0.001 |
||
|
USMLE step 3 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
217 (206, 228) |
225 (215, 234) |
<0.001 |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; USMLE, United States Medical Licensing Exam.
Note: Statistical significance indicated in bold.
a p-Values generated using Pearson's chi-square test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables.
b Total number (%) of missing observations: Not matched, 112/913 (12.3%); Matched in cornea, 39/628 (6.2%).
Among matched applicants, there was yearly variation in the number of applied programs (p = 0.005), number of interviews completed (p = 0.001), and number of programs ranked (p = 0.001) from 2010 to 2017 ([Table 3]). During this time period, matched applicants applied to a median of 15 to 24 applications, completed a median of 8 to 11 interviews, and ranked a median of 8 to 10 programs. There was also yearly variation in USMLE step 2 (median 236 to 249, p < 0.001) and step 3 (median 220 to 229, p = 0.03) scores.
|
Match year |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
p-Value[a] |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number matched in cornea |
79 |
77 |
80 |
73 |
68 |
66 |
67 |
79 |
||
|
Top 10 ophthalmology program, n (%) |
No |
68 (86.1) |
66 (85.7) |
68 (85.0) |
68 (93.2) |
63 (92.6) |
61 (92.4) |
58 (86.6) |
73 (92.4) |
0.403 |
|
Yes |
11 (13.9) |
11 (14.3) |
12 (15.0) |
5 (6.8) |
5 (7.4) |
5 (7.6) |
9 (13.4) |
6 (7.6) |
||
|
U.S. residency, n (%) |
No |
7 (8.9) |
4 (5.2) |
4 (5.0) |
6 (8.2) |
4 (5.9) |
4 (6.1) |
8 (11.9) |
2 (2.5) |
0.447 |
|
Yes |
72 (91.1) |
73 (94.8) |
76 (95.0) |
67 (91.8) |
64 (94.1) |
62 (93.9) |
59 (88.1) |
77 (97.5) |
||
|
U.S. medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
8 (10.1) |
8 (10.4) |
6 (7.5) |
8 (11.0) |
2 (3.1) |
3 (4.5) |
11 (16.4) |
6 (7.6) |
0.185 |
|
Yes |
71 (89.9) |
69 (89.6) |
74 (92.5) |
65 (89.0) |
63 (96.9) |
63 (95.5) |
56 (83.6) |
73 (92.4) |
||
|
Canada medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
71 (100.0) |
69 (98.6) |
74 (97.4) |
65 (95.6) |
63 (100.0) |
63 (100.0) |
56 (94.9) |
73 (98.6) |
0.185 |
|
Yes |
0 (0.0) |
1 (1.4) |
2 (2.6) |
3 (4.4) |
0 (0.0) |
0 (0.0) |
3 (5.1) |
1 (1.4) |
||
|
International medical graduate, n (%) |
No |
71 (89.9) |
70 (90.9) |
76 (95.0) |
68 (93.2) |
63 (96.9) |
63 (95.5) |
59 (88.1) |
74 (93.7) |
0.457 |
|
Yes |
8 (10.1) |
7 (9.1) |
4 (5.0) |
5 (6.8) |
2 (3.1) |
3 (4.5) |
8 (11.9) |
5 (6.3) |
||
|
Visa status, n (%) |
U.S. |
71 (89.9) |
69 (89.6) |
74 (92.5) |
65 (89.0) |
64 (94.1) |
63 (95.5) |
56 (83.6) |
73 (92.4) |
0.38 |
|
Canadian |
0 (0.0) |
1 (1.3) |
2 (2.5) |
3 (4.1) |
0 (0.0) |
0 (0.0) |
3 (4.5) |
1 (1.3) |
||
|
Other |
8 (10.1) |
7 (9.1) |
4 (5.0) |
5 (6.8) |
4 (5.9) |
3 (4.5) |
8 (11.9) |
5 (6.3) |
||
|
Allopathic medical degree, n (%) |
No |
2 (2.5) |
1 (1.3) |
2 (2.5) |
1 (1.4) |
2 (2.9) |
2 (3.0) |
2 (3.0) |
1 (1.3) |
0.983 |
|
Yes |
77 (97.5) |
76 (98.7) |
78 (97.5) |
72 (98.6) |
66 (97.1) |
64 (97.0) |
65 (97.0) |
78 (98.7) |
||
|
Number of applications distributed, median (IQR) |
15 (10, 24) |
19 (13, 26) |
19 (12, 27) |
24 (14, 32) |
22 (15, 29) |
21 (14, 29) |
23 (14, 30) |
23 (14, 36) |
0.005 |
|
|
Number of interviews marked completed, median (IQR) |
8 (6, 10) |
8 (6, 11) |
8 (6, 11) |
9 (7, 12) |
11 (7, 13) |
11 (8, 12) |
10 (7, 13) |
10 (7, 13) |
0.001 |
|
|
Number of programs on applicant's rank list, median (IQR) |
8 (6, 10) |
8 (5, 11) |
8 (5, 10) |
9 (6, 12) |
9 (6, 12) |
10 (6, 11) |
9 (6, 13) |
9 (7, 12) |
0.001 |
|
|
USMLE step 1 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
233 (224, 244) |
238 (220, 246) |
239 (229, 248) |
235 (226, 244) |
240 (228, 250) |
239 (230, 251) |
240 (230, 251) |
240 (232, 246) |
0.064 |
|
|
USMLE step 2 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
238 (226, 248) |
239 (225, 246) |
236 (227, 248) |
238 (223, 252) |
245 (232, 256) |
249 (238, 255) |
243 (233, 258) |
245 (239, 254) |
<0.001 |
|
|
USMLE step 3 three-digit score, median (IQR) |
224 (216, 231) |
220 (215, 232) |
220 (212, 229) |
224 (212, 235) |
228 (219, 233) |
228 (215, 237) |
227 (217, 237) |
229 (220, 234) |
0.033 |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; USMLE, United States Medical Licensing Exam.
Note: Statistical significance indicated in bold.
a p-Values generated using Pearson's chi-square test for categorical variables and Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables.
Graduation from a U.S residency program (odds ratio [OR]: 6.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.05–9.35, p < 0.001) and a greater number of interviews completed (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.29–1.42, p < 0.001) were associated with increased odds of matching into cornea fellowship ([Table 4]). A greater number of applied programs (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.98, p < 0.001) was associated with decreased odds of matching into cornea fellowship.
|
Applicant characteristics |
Odds ratio |
95% Confidence interval |
p-Value[a] |
|---|---|---|---|
|
U.S. residency |
6.15 |
(4.05, 9.35) |
<0.001 |
|
Top 10 ophthalmology program |
1.08 |
(0.65, 1.80) |
0.777 |
|
Allopathic medical degree |
1.64 |
(0.74, 3.62) |
0.221 |
|
Number of applications distributed |
0.97 |
(0.95, 0.98) |
<0.001 |
|
Number of interviews marked completed |
1.35 |
(1.29, 1.42) |
<0.001 |
|
USMLE step 1 three-digit score |
1.01 |
(0.99, 1.02) |
0.34 |
|
USMLE step 2 three-digit score |
1.00 |
(0.99, 1.01) |
0.656 |
|
USMLE step 3 three-digit score |
1.01 |
(1.00, 1.02) |
0.081 |
Abbreviations: USMLE, United States Medical Licensing Exam.
Note: Statistical significance indicated in bold.
a p-Values generated using multivariable logistic regression. All covariates used are shown in the table above.
The proportion of applicants matching into cornea fellowship increased up to 30 applications ([Fig. 1]). Of the 1,390 cornea fellowship applicants, 1,172 (84.3%) applied to 30 or fewer programs and 218 (15.7%) applied to greater than 30 programs. Of 1,172 applicants who applied to 30 or fewer applications, 437 (37.3%) were IMGs and of 218 applicants who applied to greater than 30 programs, 38 (17.4%).
The proportion of applicants who matched into cornea fellowship rose with an increasing number of interviews completed ([Fig. 2]). All applicants with greater than 18 interviews matched into cornea fellowship. Of the 1,390 fellowship applicants, 880 (63.3%) completed 7 or fewer interviews, 502 (36.1%) completed 8 to 18 interviews, and 8 (0.6%) completed greater than 18 interviews. Of 880 applicants who completed 7 or fewer interviews, 436 (49.5%) were IMGs.
Discussion
Cornea fellowship is the second-most common fellowship into which applicants match, with nearly one-quarter of all applicants matching into this subspecialty.[3] While the number of programs participating in the cornea fellowship match increased from 2014 to 2019, the percentage of positions filled did not change significantly per year and experienced an overall decrease. This may be explained by a greater increase in the number of positions offered compared with the number of positions filled.
The findings of the present study mirror those of a recent study in which objective data from the ophthalmology fellowship match were used for all subspecialties.[3] Similar to successful applicants to all fellowships, successful cornea fellowship applicants were more likely to have graduated from a U.S. residency program, rank more programs, and score higher on USMLE step 1, 2, and 3 than unmatched applicants.
In contrast, a new finding from our analysis showed that applying to a greater number of programs—beyond 30—was associated with decreased odds of matching into cornea fellowship. This association was not found in the prior study evaluating conglomerate data for applicants to any ophthalmology fellowship subspecialty[3] but has been shown for ophthalmology residency applicants.[4] During the 2013 to 2015 ophthalmology residency match cycles, the positive association between the number of applied programs and matching into ophthalmology residency became negative with greater than 48 applications.[4] In the present study, the inflection point was observed with only 30 applications. Because not all ophthalmology residents choose to pursue fellowship training and an even smaller subgroup choose to pursue cornea fellowship training, specifically, it is unsurprising that the optimal number of applications needed to match successfully is lower for cornea fellowship applicants than for ophthalmology residency applicants. For cornea fellowship applicants, the odds ratio of successfully matching with a greater number of programs was slightly less than 1. This is likely indicative of stronger applicants applying to fewer programs. However, it is important to consider the strength of individual applications when counseling applicants to maximize their chances of receiving more interviews. Overall higher odds of matching with fewer applied programs likely suggest that stronger applicants feel more confident in their ability to match and, therefore, apply to fewer programs on average.
Although medical school location was not included as a covariate in our regression analysis due to collinearity with residency program location, IMG status is known to be associated with decreased odds of matching into any ophthalmology fellowship.[3] In 2015, IMGs comprised approximately 25% of the graduate medical education population and only approximately 5% of ophthalmologists.[9] Within ophthalmology, about one-third of matched pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellows were IMGs in 2013 to 2015, significantly more than all other ophthalmology subspecialties combined.[10] In our analysis of matched cornea fellowship applicants, only 3.1 to 11.9% were IMGs. The variation in IMG representation between ophthalmology subspecialties suggests that some subspecialties, like cornea, may be more competitive than pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. An alternative, though less likely, hypothesis is that IMGs have an unusual preference for pediatrics and strabismus over other subspecialties. In support of the former hypothesis, one study found that cornea fellowship had the lowest percentage of vacancies of all ophthalmology fellowships over the last decade.[3] Given our finding that graduating from a U.S. residency program is associated with an increased likelihood of matching into cornea fellowship, it may be beneficial for IMGs interested in subspecializing in cornea to pursue residency training in the U.S.
Interestingly, the rate of successfully matching into cornea fellowship was similar among applicants who graduated from a U.S. residency program (61.9%) and those who graduated from a top 10 U.S. residency program (64.0%). In addition, we did not find that graduation from a top 10 U.S. residency program increased an applicant's odds of a successful match. It is possible that applicants from top 10 U.S. residency programs may apply to more competitive fellowship programs which may account for similar match rates.
Despite the significant difference in USMLE scores between matched and unmatched applicants, scores were not associated with an increased likelihood of matching into cornea fellowship. Our findings are consistent with that of the prior study in which scores were not associated with an increased likelihood of matching into any ophthalmology fellowship.[3] This suggests that fellowship program directors place a greater value on other applicant qualities. Indeed, a 2009 survey-based study found that program directors for retina, cornea and external disease, and glaucoma fellowship programs valued the interview process, letters of recommendation from subspecialty faculty, and the ability to work and communicate with others above all other factors when selecting among applicants.[7] In addition, a 2009 survey of program directors for the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-sponsored fellowships in the U.S. and Canada identified the same three criteria as most important in aiding the selection of fellows.[8] Of 16 criteria ranked in order of importance, medical school performance, including USMLE scores, was ranked 9th, suggesting a low weight placed on USMLE scores at the fellowship level.[8]
To our knowledge, no other studies have used objective data to examine applicant characteristics associated with a successful cornea fellowship match. Strengths of this study include the large sample size and use of objective data from the SF Match. Limitations of the study include our inability to stratify unmatched applicants by the subspecialty to which they applied, exclusion of applicants who did not submit a formal fellowship application through the SF Match, our inability to comment on any causal relationships due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, and lack of data regarding unmatched applicants since SF Match does not provide data on what happened to those who did match due to confidentially reasons.
Conclusions
This study used objective metrics to analyze trends in the number of participating cornea fellowship programs and positions and to describe applicant characteristics associated with matching into a cornea fellowship program. Over the last several years, the numbers of cornea fellowship programs and positions have increased. After controlling for potential covariates, factors associated with increased likelihood of matching into cornea fellowship included graduation from a U.S. residency program and completing a greater number of interviews. Unlike applying to any ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship, applying to a greater number of cornea fellowship programs was associated with decreased odds of matching. The findings of this study may be informative for future cornea fellowship applicants and program leaders.
Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Lisa Brown, Dennis Thomatos, and Erik Rosales at the AUPO for helping to acquire the San Francisco Match Fellowship match data. We would also like to thank Jiangxia Wang (Assistant Scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) for assistance with data analysis.
Presentations
None.
Publications
This submission has not been published anywhere previously and is not simultaneously being considered for any other publication.
# Authors contributed equally and are co-first authors.
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References
- 1 Parke III D. In the pursuit of fellowship. May 14, 2015. Accessed July 6, 2021 at: https://www.aao.org/young-ophthalmologists/yo-info/article/in-pursuit-of-fellowship
- 2 SF Match Residency and Fellowship Matching Services.. Ophthalmology fellowship. Accessed July 6, 2021 at: https://www.sfmatch.org/specialty/ophthalmology-fellowship/c1213367-5e84-4416-bd87-501b345cbc16
- 3 Zafar S, Bressler NM, Golnik KC. et al. Fellowship match outcomes in the U.S. From 2010 to 2017: analysis of San Francisco Match. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 218: 261-267
- 4 Siatkowski RM, Mian SI, Culican SM. et al; Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Probability of success in the ophthalmology residency match: three-year outcomes analysis of San Francisco matching program data. J Acad Ophthalmol 2018; 10 (01) e150-e157
- 5 Nallasamy S, Uhler T, Nallasamy N, Tapino PJ, Volpe NJ. Ophthalmology resident selection: current trends in selection criteria and improving the process. [published correction appears in Ophthalmology.2010 Aug;117(8):1505] Ophthalmology 2010; 117 (05) 1041-1047
- 6
Loh AR,
Joseph D,
Keenan JD,
Lietman TM,
Naseri A.
Predictors of matching in an ophthalmology residency program. Ophthalmology 2013;
120 (04) 865-870
MissingFormLabel
- 7 Kempton JE, Shields MB, Afshari NA, Dou W, Adelman RA. Fellow selection criteria. Ophthalmology 2009; 116 (05) 1020-1020.e4
- 8 Meyer DR, Dewan MA. Fellowship selection criteria in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2010; 26 (05) 357-359
- 9 Ahmed AA, Hwang WT, Thomas Jr CR, Deville Jr C. International Medical graduates in the US physician workforce and graduate medical education: current and historical trends. J Grad Med Educ 2018; 10 (02) 214-218
- 10 Dotan G, Karr DJ, Levin AV. Pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellowship Match outcomes, 2000-2015. J AAPOS 2017; 21 (03) 181.e1-181.e8
Address for correspondence
Publikationsverlauf
Eingereicht: 23. Dezember 2021
Angenommen: 16. Juni 2022
Artikel online veröffentlicht:
23. September 2022
© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
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References
- 1 Parke III D. In the pursuit of fellowship. May 14, 2015. Accessed July 6, 2021 at: https://www.aao.org/young-ophthalmologists/yo-info/article/in-pursuit-of-fellowship
- 2 SF Match Residency and Fellowship Matching Services.. Ophthalmology fellowship. Accessed July 6, 2021 at: https://www.sfmatch.org/specialty/ophthalmology-fellowship/c1213367-5e84-4416-bd87-501b345cbc16
- 3 Zafar S, Bressler NM, Golnik KC. et al. Fellowship match outcomes in the U.S. From 2010 to 2017: analysis of San Francisco Match. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 218: 261-267
- 4 Siatkowski RM, Mian SI, Culican SM. et al; Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Probability of success in the ophthalmology residency match: three-year outcomes analysis of San Francisco matching program data. J Acad Ophthalmol 2018; 10 (01) e150-e157
- 5 Nallasamy S, Uhler T, Nallasamy N, Tapino PJ, Volpe NJ. Ophthalmology resident selection: current trends in selection criteria and improving the process. [published correction appears in Ophthalmology.2010 Aug;117(8):1505] Ophthalmology 2010; 117 (05) 1041-1047
- 6
Loh AR,
Joseph D,
Keenan JD,
Lietman TM,
Naseri A.
Predictors of matching in an ophthalmology residency program. Ophthalmology 2013;
120 (04) 865-870
MissingFormLabel
- 7 Kempton JE, Shields MB, Afshari NA, Dou W, Adelman RA. Fellow selection criteria. Ophthalmology 2009; 116 (05) 1020-1020.e4
- 8 Meyer DR, Dewan MA. Fellowship selection criteria in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2010; 26 (05) 357-359
- 9 Ahmed AA, Hwang WT, Thomas Jr CR, Deville Jr C. International Medical graduates in the US physician workforce and graduate medical education: current and historical trends. J Grad Med Educ 2018; 10 (02) 214-218
- 10 Dotan G, Karr DJ, Levin AV. Pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellowship Match outcomes, 2000-2015. J AAPOS 2017; 21 (03) 181.e1-181.e8