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Changes were made to the independent plastic surgery residency in 2009 to 2010 that included full prerequisite training and increased from 2 to 3 years of independent residency. The authors sought to determine subsequent match trends and predictors of a successful match.With American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons approval, the San Francisco Match provided data for the independent match (2010-2018). Trends in the independent plastic surgery were reviewed. Applicant variables were analyzed to determine correlation with a successful match and a match at top-ranked programs using Doximity Residency Navigator.Total independent applicants per cycle decreased 18% while foreign medical school applicants increased from 19.4% to 27%. Available positions decreased from 97 to 66 (32%) and match rate decreased from 82% to 78%. Applicants who matched were from US medical schools, had higher USMLE Step 1 scores, were from University and top General surgery residencies, and averaged more interviews (p0.05). By multivariate regression, number of interviews completed (odds ratio [OR] 15.35 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.7-30.6, p0.001) and having completed prerequisite training at a university based program in addition to having graduated from an allopathic medical school (OR 1.78 95% CI 1.1-2.97, p = 0.027) were predictive of a successful match. Step 1 score ≥ 240 (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.0-10.2, p = 0.046), Alpha Omega Alpha membership (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.9, p = 0.048), and having completed prerequisite training at the same institution (7.6, 95% CI 2.2-25.7, p0.001) were predictive of matching at top-ranked programs.Since 2010, independent plastic surgery applicant and program participation have decreased. Greater number of interviews, university-based prerequisite training, and allopathic medical school background are variables that correlate with a successful match. Factors predictive of a match at top-ranked Doximity Residency Navigator plastic surgery programs include high Step 1 scores, Alpha Omega Alpha membership, and prerequisite training at the same institution.

Background Despite the frequency of medical students' participation in ophthalmology clerkships away from their home institution, the impact and benefit of these clerkships have remained uninvestigated. To date, no study has focused specifically on medical student perspectives of away ophthalmology clerkships. Objective The purpose of the study was to evaluate the medical students' perspectives on and experience with away rotations in ophthalmology, and assess their effect on residency Match outcomes. Methods An anonymous, original, online survey was designed and distributed to applicants of the 2015 to 2018 ophthalmology Match cycles. Results A total of 69 responses from nine medical institutions were collected (62% response rate). Forty-one respondents (59%) chose to perform at least one away rotation. Among away rotators, the mean number performed was 1.44. Thirty-seven away rotators (90%) reported receiving an interview from at least one host institution they visited. The average estimated cost of an away rotation was ∼1,709 U.S. dollars. With a 95.7% overall match rate among the respondents, no statistically significant difference was seen in match rates between away rotators and nonaway rotators (p = 0.564). Among the away rotators, the mean position on their rank order list matched was 2.34, while the nonaway rotators matched at a mean position of 2.13 (p = 0.383). Conclusion No association between away participation and success in the San Francisco Match was observed in this study. However, study participants did experience non-Match-related benefits from away elective participation.

INTRODUCTION Students seek gap years to enhance knowledge and improve chances of professional success. Although many institutions offer research opportunities, no studies have examined outcomes after these experiences. This study evaluates a dedicated year of orthopaedic research on a cohort's ultimate orthopaedic surgery match rate. METHODS From 2001 to 2018, 129 learners spent a year with our Department of Orthopedic Surgery at a major academic medical center. The students were either completing a gap year after college, during or after medical school, or after an unsuccessful match. Participants were asked to respond to a survey, which included demographics, educational information, and metrics related to the program. For the subcohort of students who ranked orthopaedic surgery, the match rate was compared with the mean for the US orthopaedic surgery match rates from 2006 to 2018 using a chi-square analysis. In addition, a Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the number of publications before and after the year. RESULTS One hundred three students (80%) returned completed questionnaires. Of all learners who applied to and ranked orthopaedic surgery, 91% matched into an orthopaedic surgery residency program. These results compared favorably with the US orthopaedic match from 2006 to 2018 (67.9%; P < 0.001), despite a 4-point lower United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score for the research cohort. Finally, the research cohort had a greater percentage of women (23%) and minorities (40%) than the proportion of woman and minority practicing orthopaedic surgeons. CONCLUSION Students who completed a gap year in research matched into orthopaedics at a higher rate than the national average, despite a lower Step score. Mentors may also target traditionally underrepresented groups to help increase the pool of diverse applicants.

Purpose: International medical graduates (IMGs) make up one-fourth of the physician workforce in the US and a significant proportion of them come from Syria. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of Syrian physicians seeking residency positions in the US and to examine the effects of visa restrictions on their Match outcome. Methods: An online survey administered to IMGs from Syria was used to probe their residency application characteristics as well as their experiences with visa restrictions. We evaluated the factors that affected their Match outcome and number of interviews offered to applicants. Results: A total of 223 IMGs from Syria completed the survey with an average match rate of 70.4% (76.6% in 2017 vs. 69.9% in 2018 vs. 64.4% in 2019). The proportion of applicants who required visas was 29.2%. In a multivariate analysis, higher USMLE Step 2CK score increased the match rate, whereas requiring a visa and failure in any USMLE exam decreased the match rate. Among those requiring visa, the match rate decreased from 78.6% in the cycle before the travel ban (2017) to 64.9% in the cycles following the travel ban (2018 and 2019) (P = 0.22). Similarly, the total number of interviews offered to these applicants decreased significantly following the travel ban (9.4 [7.5] vs. 6.2 [5.3], P = 0.04). Conclusion: Syrian IMGs seeking residency positions in the US have a higher match rate than non-US IMGs. Requiring a visa and failing any USMLE exam negatively impacted the match rate and number of interview invitations to Syrian applicants.

Online news and social networking sites have been significantly used in recent years. There has been a lot of efforts to provide appropriate contents for the end users; however, they proved not to be effective. We believe the semantic web (as the third generation of the web) is mature enough to undertake the responsibility of generating more user-centric content. One way to exploit the semantic web's capabilities for such purpose is to construct an ontology that establishes the relationships between hashtags. In this paper, we present the construction process of a news feed system based on the hierarchical relationships of geographic hashtag. Our experiments demonstrated that our proposed semantic-based hierarchical location tagging news feed system increases the quality of the user experience as well as the publication rate of the news while boosting the content match rate to the target audiences. The proposed system of this paper can be considered as a real step towards the realization of semantic web.

Many patients who undergo endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVR) also undergo repeat procedures, or reinterventions, to address suboptimal device performance and prevent aneurysm rupture. Quality improvement initiatives measuring reintervention after EVR has focused on fee-for-service Medicare patients. However, because patients aged less than 65 years and those with Medicare Advantage represent an important growing subgroup, we used a novel approach leveraging a state data source that captures patients of all ages and with all types of insurance.We identified patients who underwent EVR (2011-2015) within the Vascular Quality Initiative registry and were also listed in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System all-payer claims database of New York. We linked patients in the Vascular Quality Initiative to their Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System claims file at the patient level with a 96% match rate. We compared outcomes between fee-for-service Medicare eligible, defined as age 65 or older or on dialysis, versus ineligible patients, defined as those younger than 65 and not on dialysis. Our primary outcome was reintervention. We used Cox proportional hazards regression and propensity score matching for risk adjustment.We studied 1285 patients with a median follow-up of 16 months (range, 1-57 months). The mean age was 74 years, 79% were male, and 84% of procedures were elective. Nearly one in six patients were not Medicare eligible (14%), and the remainder (86%) were Medicare eligible. Medicare-eligible patients were less likely to be male (77% vs 91%; P .001), have a history of smoking (79% vs 93%; P .001), and have a nonelective procedure (15% vs 23%; P = .013). The 3-year Kaplan-Meier rate of reintervention was 21%. We found similar rates of reintervention between Medicare-eligible patients and those who were not (19% vs 20%, log-rank P = .199; unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-1.16). This finding persisted in both the adjusted and propensity-matched analyses (adjusted HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.50-1.34; propensity-matched HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.36-1.37).Reintervention can be monitored using administrative claims from both Medicare and non-Medicare payers, and serve as an important outcome metric after EVR in patients of all ages. The rate of reintervention seems to be similar between older, Medicare-eligible individuals, and those who are not yet eligible.

Psychiatric classifications before the early 1900s generally are viewed as chaotic and not worthy of analysis. Sixteen different classificatory systems were identified that were pre-World War I and that were pre-Kraepelinian. A total of 827 names were collected from these 16 classifications. As expected, classification unreliability was a problem in these systems. Across the seven American classifications, the average match rate in names was 15% (i.e., 15% of the diagnoses in one system appeared with the same name in another system). The names that were most consistently recognized across these 16 classifications were "mania," "acute mania," "chronic mania," "melancholia," "general paralysis," "senile dementia," "epileptic insanity," "hysterical insanity," "moral insanity," "idiocy," and "cretinism." These 11 names summarize 19th century American views of psychopathology.

It is known that a variant of Ising model, called Seeded Ising Model, can be used to recover the information content of a biometric template from a fraction of information therein. The method consists in reconstructing the whole template, which is called the intruder template in this paper, using only a small portion of the given template, a partial template. This reconstruction method may pose a security threat to the integrity of a biometric identity management system. In this paper, based on the Seeded Ising Model, we present a systematic analysis of the possible security breach and its probability of accepting the intruder templates as genuine. Detailed statistical experiments on the intruder match rate are also conducted under various scenarios. In particular, we study (1) how best a template is divided into several small pieces called partial templates, each of which is to be stored in a separate silo, (2) how to do the matching by comparing partial templates in the locked-up silos, and letting only the results of these intra-silo comparisons be sent to the central tallying server for final scoring without requiring the whole templates in one location at any time.

Background Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is one of the more recently established surgical fellowships, with many candidates applying due to a perception of inadequate exposure to advanced MIS during residency. The desire for advanced training should be reflected in increased competitiveness for fellowship positions. The aim of this study is to determine the desirability of MIS fellowships over time through review of national application data. Methods We reviewed the fellowship match statistics obtained from The Fellowship Council, the organizing body behind the MIS fellowship match. Data from January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2019 were included. We compared match rates to other specialties using the National Resident Matching Program, a nonprofit organization established for US residency and some fellowship programs. Results In the period of 2008 to 2019, the number of certified MIS fellowship programs increased from 124 to 141. While this program expansion was associated with a 19% increase in available positions, the number of applications increased 36%. As a result, the number of positions filled increased from 83% to 97%, but the match rate among US applicants fell from 82% to 71% during this interval. In comparison, the match rates for pediatric surgery, surgical oncology, vascular surgery, and surgical critical care fellowships remained largely unchanged, most recently 50%, 56%, 99%, and 100% respectively. Conclusion Over the last decade, US residents have shown an increased interest in pursuing MIS fellowship positions. As a consequence, the match process for MIS fellowships is becoming increasingly competitive.

To investigate whether there is a correlation between the proportion of female faculty and residents at urology residency programs and the proportion of females matched to those programs.We utilized official results from 3 consecutive AUA match cycles from 2018 - 2020 to obtain the number of females matched to each program. The number of female residents and faculty members in each program was acquired through querying program websites and contact with residency program coordinators. The correlation between the proportion of females in the newly matched class of residents and the proportion of current female faculty members and residents in that program was calculated for each match cycle.There was a positive correlation between the proportion of matched female applicants and the proportion of female residents in each program for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 match cycles (R = 0.23, P = .01; R = 0.21, P = .02, R = 0.11, p.001, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the proportion of matched female applicants and the proportion of female faculty at their matched program in the 2018 and 2020 match cycles (R = 0.22, P = .02; R = 0.06, P.01, respectively). There was no significant predilection of females matching to programs with a female program director or chairperson, and geographic location of program (based on AUA section) did not appear to influence female applicant match rates.There has been a consistent trend in the proportion of matched female applicants to urology programs correlating positively with the proportion of female residents at those programs over the past three years. This is indicative of the increased potential for female mentorship and leadership opportunities. Further research is needed to investigate the factors that draw female applicants to urology programs with increased female representation.

Facial appearance can be substantially altered through the application of facial cosmetics. In addition to the widespread, socially acceptable, and in some cases even expected use for the purpose of beautification, facial cosmetics can be abused to launch so-called makeup presentation attacks. Thus far, the potential of such attack instruments has generally been claimed to be relatively low based on experimental evaluations on available datasets. This paper presents a new dataset of such attacks with the purpose of impersonation and identity concealment. The images have been collected from online sources, concentrating on seemingly highly skilled makeup artists. A vulnerability assessment of face recognition with respect to probe images contained in the collected dataset is conducted on state-of-the-art open source and commercial off-the-shelf facial recognition systems with a standardised methodology and metrics. The obtained results are especially striking for the impersonation attacks: the obtained attack success chance of almost 70% at a fixed decision threshold corresponding to 0.1% false match rate is significantly higher than results previously reported in the scientific literature.

Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic (COVID-19), guidelines regarding both elimination of visiting subinternships and substitution of virtual interviews for the 2021 match were adopted. We hypothesize that these changes will result in an increase in home institution match rates compared to previous years.Program match data was obtained using information posted to residency program Instagram pages and the hashtag #PRSMatch2021. Chi square was used to assess differences between groups.Medical school regions were categorized as West, Midwest, South, and Northeast and compared to match program region.Matched candidates to integrated plastic surgery residencies RESULTS: A total of 181/187 (96.8%) integrated plastic surgery matched candidates were identified. Compared to historical controls, there was a statistically significant increase in the home match rate (24.3%, p = 0.004) and statistically significant decrease in match rate for students without a home plastic surgery program (21.0%, p = 0.004). Similar to prior years, applicants were more likely to match in their own region for all regions (p0.001); however, there was a statistical increase in students staying in the South region for residency compared to previous years (p = 0.007).The 2021 match cycle resulted in an increase in home program match rates, while decreasing match rates among students without a home plastic surgery program. COVID-19 polices may have resulted in disadvantages to students from diverse institutional backgrounds. Influences of virtual subinternships and virtual interviews should be further evaluated.

Objective To rank percentages of underrepresented residents in surgical subspecialties and understand the experience of mentees and mentors who participated in the inaugural University of California, San Francisco Urology UnderRepresented Trainees Entering Residency (UReTER) Mentorship Program for Black, Indigenous, and/or LatinX medical students applying into urology. Methods Medical student mentees across the country were recruited via social media and email listservs. Demographic information and photos of mentors were presented on the UReTER website. Medical students could choose a mentor, and once matched, both parties were notified. A survey was emailed to all participants on Urology Match Day 2021. Result The 2018 –2019 ACGME Databook showed underrepresented minority residents made up 7.6% of urology residents, lagging behind neurosurgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. 71 mentees and 101 mentors volunteered for the UReTER Mentorship Program (71 mentor-mentee couplets). Overall response rate was 51% [33 mentors and 32 mentees]. Of mentees who completed the survey, 16 (47%) participated in the 2021 Urology Match; 15 (94%) matched and 6 (38%) felt that UReTER helped them match. Conclusion Feedback on this pilot program was very positive including a high match rate among those who participated. Future changes to the program include expanded student outreach, increased structure, broadened mentor network. The implementation of a low-cost program to increase underrepresented applicants into Urology has great potential to increase representation and improve the field. This program can and should be replicated in all subspecialties.

Background and Objectives: There is a shortage of physicians in rural communities in the United States. More than other types of primary care physicians, family physicians are the foundation for care in rural areas.1 There are also critical shortages of other specialties such as general surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, and psychiatry in rural America.2-7 This study assessed student participation in the University of Washington School of Medicine’s (UWSOM) Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST) program as a predictor for family medicine (FM) and needed workforce specialty residency match. Methods: The study group was 156 medical students from 2009-2014; 102 were accepted to the TRUST program compared to a control group of 54 who were not accepted into the TRUST program but did matriculate to UWSOM. Student characteristics for the two groups were compared using t tests. Logistic regression analysis determined whether acceptance in TRUST predicted the outcomes measures of FM residency match or residency match into a needed rural physician workforce specialty; t tests compared match rates to family medicine for TRUST applicants and graduates, UWSOM graduates, and US allopathic seniors. Results: TRUST program graduates had the same FM residency match rate and match rate in needed workforce specialties as the control group. The FM match rate for TRUST graduates was 29.1% compared to UWSOM at 16.9% and US seniors at 8.7% (P

Morse code is a system of representation of letters, numbers, punctuation marks and signals using a code of dots and lines that are arranged to represent certain characters in the alphabet or certain signals (signs) that are agreed upon for use throughout the world was studied by nilas[1]. This code was coined by Samuel F.B. Morse and Alfred Vail in 1835 was studied by ming[2]. This research aims at how to apply the Background Subtraction method in the design of the morse sign language receiver in the invisible light. Build an Android-based application for recognition of Morse sign language by keeping messages sent using Morse sign language secret through infrared light from the sight of those who can read the message. From the results of the tests that have been carried out, it is concluded that the level of accuracy of testing using the False Match Rate (FMR) obtained a success percentage of 65% from the 26 character data tested. From the 26 character data tested, it was obtained data with the number of characters that were successfully counted correctly, namely 17 characters, while the character data that failed to be counted was 9 characters with a detection result of 26 characters.

Previously studied fingerprint readers usually used Minutiae feature. Minutiae uses both directional maps and skeleton images because of its high FMR (False Match Rate). But unlike security attacks on Minutiae, research on directional maps and skeletal image attacks is not going well. In this paper, fingerprint images are generated using the new Pix2Pix model and analyzed representation attack vulnerabilities for the images. When the restored fingerprint by the model was recognized to the fingerprint recognizer, it showed a high recognition success rate and demonstrated the vulnerability for representation attacks on fingerprint readers that also use skeletal images.

The Annonaceae family of plants is one of the most anatomically and structurally uniform families. Chemotaxonomy is a common practice to determine the chemical patterns within these families at different phylogenetic levels. The aim of this study was to build a dataset of all the secondary metabolites isolated within the Annonaceae family and to perform the respective chemotaxonomic analysis using self-organizing maps (SOMs). This dataset is composed of 5321 botanical occurrences and 1860 unique molecules present in all subfamilies of the Annonaceae. Diterpenes account for 366 unique compounds and 533 botanical occurrences seen in both Annonoideae and Malmeoideae subfamilies. The Annoneae, Xylopieae and Miliuseae tribes had the highest number of botanical occurrences and were therefore selected for the analysis. Molecular descriptors of the diterpenes and their respective botanical occurrences were used to generate the SOMs. These SOMs demonstrated clear and indicative tribe separations, with a match rate higher than 70%. Our results corroborate with the morphological and molecular data. These models can be used to predict the phylogenetic location of certain diterpenes and to accelerate the research of Annonaceae secondary metabolites and their biological potentials.

Introduction In 2018, orthopaedic trauma had the lowest match rate among orthopaedic subspecialties. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of factors evaluated by orthopaedic trauma fellowship directors when ranking applicants after the interview. Methods An electronic survey was submitted to fellowship directors and consisted of 16 factors included in a fellowship application. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of these factors for applicants they interviewed on a 1 to 5 Likert scale, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being critical. Results Thirty-seven fellowship directors responded (63.8%). The highest-rated factor was the applicant interview (mean score 4.82), followed by the quality of letters of recommendation (4.69), personal connections made to the applicant (3.89), and potential to be leader (3.86). Fellowship directors at academic programs rated interest in an academic career (P = 0.003), research experience (P = 0.023), and exposure to well-known orthopaedic traumatologists (P = 0.003) higher than their counterparts at private institutions. Programs with more than one fellow rated potential to be a leader higher than programs with one fellow (P = 0.02). Discussion Trainees may use this study when compiling an application to optimize their chances of matching at the program of their choice.

Medical students are anxious about not getting a preferred residency position. We described elective patterns of two recent cohorts and examined associated match outcomes.We conducted a retrospective review of the final-year electives of all students who participated in the residency match (first iteration) at one school for 2017 and 2018. We categorized elective patterns and associated them with aggregated match outcomes. We examined high-demand/low-supply (HDLS) disciplines separately.We described three elective patterns: High Dive, Parallel Plan(s), and No Clear Pattern. Many students had High Dive and Parallel Plans patterns; only a few showed No Clear Pattern. Match rates for High Dive and Parallel Plan patterns were high but many students matched to Family and Internal Medicine. When we separated out HDLS predominance, the match rate remained high but a significant number matched to disciplines in which they did not have a majority of electives. Most High Dive and Parallel Plan students who went unmatched did so with HDLS discipline electives.Many students chose High Dive and Parallel Plan strategies to both high-capacity and HDLS disciplines. Match rates were high for both patterns but students also matched to non-primary disciplines. Back-up planning may reside in the entire application, and not just electives selection.Les étudiants en médecine sont anxieux à l’idée de ne pas obtenir le poste de résidence souhaité. Nous avons décrit les profils de stages à optionde deux cohortes récentes et examiné les résultats des jumelages associés.Nous avons mené une évaluation rétrospective des stages à option d’externat senior effectués par l’ensemble des étudiants qui ont participé au jumelage de résidence (premier tour) dans un programme de médecine pour 2017 et 2018. Nous avons classé les profils de stage et les avons associés aux résultats de jumelage agrégés. Nous avons examiné les disciplines à demande élevée et à offre faible (DEOF) séparément.Nous avons décrit trois profils de stages à option : le « grand saut », le plan parallèle B et aucun schéma précis. De nombreux étudiants présentaient des profils de type « grand saut » et plans parallèles. Seuls quelques-uns ne présentaient aucun profil précis. Les taux de jumelage pour les schémas grand saut et plan parallèle étaient élevés, mais de nombreux étudiants étaient jumelés à Médecine familiale et Médecine interne. Quand nous avons séparé la prédominance DEOF, le taux de jumelage restait élevé, mais un nombre important d’étudiants obtenaient un poste dans des disciplines pour lesquelles ils n’avaient pas fait une majorité de stages à option. La plupart des étudiants avec profils « grand saut » et plan parallèle qui n’avaient pas été jumelés avaient fait des stages à option dans des disciplines DEOF.De nombreux étudiants avaient choisi des stratégies « grand saut » et plan parallèle pour des disciplines à haute capacité ainsi que des disciplines DEOF. Les taux de jumelage étaient élevés pour les deux profils, mais les étudiants se jumelaient également à des disciplines autres que leur premier choix. Une solution de rechange peut se trouver dans l’ensemble du processus, et non pas seulement dans la sélection des stages à option.

To analyze the trends in international medical graduates (IMGs) matching into diagnostic radiology residency programs in the United States (US).The National Resident Match Program data was accessed for years 2005-2020 and diagnostic radiology residency-specific data was extracted for US MD, osteopathic (DO), and IMG applicants. IMGs were categorized into US-citizen IMGs and non-US citizen IMGs per the National Residency Match Program. Variables collected for each year included the number of positions, number of applicants in each group, positions filled/unfilled, and fill rate of each group. Additional data for some years included USMLE Step 1 score, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 clinical knowledge (CK) score, number of research experiences, number of abstracts/publications, and additional degrees obtained. Trends were analyzed using simple linear regression model and p value0.05 was considered significant.The number of diagnostic radiology residency programs increased from 203 (2006) to 212 (2020). The total number of diagnostic radiology residency positions increased from 1011 (2006) to 1113 (2020), with the peak of 1145 in 2014. The overall "match rate," that is, proportion of positions filled to positions available, increased from 96.4% (2006) to 97.3% (2020), with a brief decline to 86.7% in 2015. Among the filled positions, the proportion filled by US medical school graduates significantly declined from 89.7% (2006) to 69.2% (2020) (p0.001), and the proportion of positions filled by osteopathic seniors and graduates significantly increased from 2.2% (2006) to 15.1% (2020; p0.001). The proportion of US IMGs increased from 3.2% (2006) to 5.4% (2020), while the proportion of non-US IMGs increased from 4.4% (2006) to 9.4% (2020), with overall IMG match rate increased significantly from 7.6% to 14.9% (p = 0.009). The mean Step 1 scores of US IMGs and non-US IMGs were 238 and 237.3, and the mean Step 2 CK scores were 241.67 and 241, respectively. Cumulatively over the study period, a total of 736 US IMGs and 1051 non-US IMGs have matched into diagnostic radiology residency.There is an increasing proportion of IMGs, especially the non-US citizen IMGs, matching into US radiology residency programs in the last decade. Diagnostic radiology remains a competitive specialty evidenced by average USMLE scores higher than national average and research experiences of matched candidates.

Background and Objectives: Medical students who train in rural communities are often exposed to physicians practicing a broad scope of care, regardless of discipline. We examined how rural education is associated with practice specialization rates for students who match in primary care or general core specialties. Methods: We linked practice and specialty data (2016 AMA Masterfile dataset), demographics (American Medical College Application Service data), and internal college data for 1974-2011 Michigan State University College of Human Medicine graduates who received clinical education on either the Upper Peninsula (rural) or Grand Rapids (urban) campuses. Current practice was verified using internet searches. We compared specialty and practice data by rural or urban campus, controlling for multiple variables. Results: More rurally-trained graduates entered primary care (PC) residencies (128/208, 61.5%) than urban-trained graduates (457/891, 51.3%; P

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Problem Medical students are applying to increasing numbers of residency programs to increase their likelihood of success in the Match. However, they have limited data to help them understand their level of competitiveness or identify programs to which they should apply. Approach In 2014–2015 (Match year 2015), the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM’s) Office of Student Affairs (OSA) implemented an electronic interview tracking tool in which students update their residency application interview status on an ongoing basis. OSA deans can filter and sort data by student, specialty, program, academic metrics, and interview status. The deans use these data to advise students in real time, provide students with examples of programs to consider, and engage clinical faculty to support students at risk of not matching. Outcomes In the Match years 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively, 86% (n = 135/157), 87% (n = 138/159), and 94% (n = 151/161) of UMSOM students participated actively in this tracking tool, adding over 3,000 data points per year. Following the tool’s launch, the average number of applications per student remained stable. The UMSOM’s Match rate and percentages of students self-reporting a match in their top three choices and rating the school’s advising as “very useful” all increased, without comparable increases in national data. Next Steps This tool, which provides students with data-driven examples of programs to which they should consider applying, may be beneficial to students, faculty, and program directors at other institutions—and to the residency application process, if adopted broadly.

Although the field of otolaryngology has experienced a decline in the number of applicants to our residency programs, otolaryngology remains a highly competitive field with an extremely strong applicant pool. Many highly qualified candidates cannot obtain a position in our field each year, and many of these candidates choose to reapply the next year. Data are lacking regarding reapplicants’ success rate and the best gap year employment and training options for these reapplicants. Reapplicants were studied prospectively via a two-stage survey during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 application cycles. Success rates for the overall group were compared to those from published data, and success rates between subgroups were also compared. First-time reapplicants in the study performed extremely well. Their match rate (19/22) was not significantly different from that of traditional otolaryngology applicants (551/619, p = 0.73) and was significantly higher than that of nontraditional applicants not in our cohort (23/62, p < 0.001). No significant difference was found between applicants by employment/training activities, with both researchers (11/12) and surgical interns (8/10, p = 0.57) performing well. Predictors of reapplicant success could not be assessed because only 3 reapplicants in the cohort were unsuccessful. First-time otolaryngology reapplicants remain a highly competitive group of applicants to our field, regardless of employment/training activities undertaken after graduating medical school.

Objective Recently, a multitude of new U.S. medical schools have been established and existing medical schools have expanded their enrollments. The National Residency Match Program (NRMP) reports that in 2016 there were 23,339 categorical residency positions offered in the match and 26,836 overall applicants with 17,789 (66.29%) of the total candidates being U.S. allopathic graduates. In view of the rapid growth of medical school graduates, the aim of this study is to determine if current trends suggest a shortage of residency positions within the next ten years. Design The total number of graduates from U.S. medical schools was obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for 2005-2014 academic years and was trended linearly for a 10-year prediction for the number of graduates. The yearly number of categorical positions filled by U.S. graduates for calendar years 2006-2015 was obtained from the NRMP and was trended longitudinally 10 years into the future. Analysis of subspecialty data focused on the comparison of differences in growth rates and potential foreseeable deficits in available categorical positions in U.S. residency programs. Results According to trended data from AAMC, the total number of graduates from U.S. medical schools has increased 1.52 percent annually (15,927 in 2005 to 18,705 in 2014); with a forecast of 22,280 U.S. medical school graduates in 2026. The growth rate of all categorical positions available in U.S. residency programs was 2.55 percent annually, predicting 29,880 positions available in 2026. In view of these results, an analysis of specific residencies was done to determine potential shortages in specific residencies. With 17.4 percent of all U.S. graduates matching into internal medicine and a 3.17 percent growth rate in residency positions, in 2026 the number of internal medicine residency positions will be 9,026 with 3,874 U.S. graduates predicted to match into these positions. In general surgery, residency positions note a growth rate of 1.55 percent. Of all U.S. graduates, 5.6 percent match into general surgery. Overall this projects 1,445 general surgery residency positions in 2026 with 1,257 U.S. graduates matching. In orthopedics with a growth rate of 1.35 percent and a match rate of 3.75 percent, there are projected to be 827 positions available with 836 U.S. graduates projected to match. Conclusions Despite the increasing number of medical school graduates, our model suggests the rate of growth of residency positions continues to be higher than the rate of growth of U.S. medical school graduates. While there is no apparent shortage of categorical positions overall, highly competitive subspecialties like orthopedics may develop a shortage within the next ten years.

Background and purpose To evaluate the impact of student pharmacist participation in a mock interview session on confidence level and preparation regarding residency interview skills. Educational activity and setting The study setting was a mock interview session, held in conjunction with student programming at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Annual Meeting. Prior to the mock interview session, final year student pharmacists seeking residency program placement were asked to complete a pre-session survey assessing confidence level for residency interviews. Each student pharmacist participated in up to three mock interviews. A post-session survey evaluating confidence level was then administered to consenting participants. Following the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Pharmacy Resident Matching Program (RMP), a post-match electronic survey was sent to study participants to determine their perception of the influence of the mock interview session on achieving successful interactions during residency interviews. Findings A total of 59 student pharmacists participated in the mock interview session and completed the pre-session survey. Participants completing the post-session survey (88%, n = 52) unanimously reported an enhanced confidence in interviewing skills following the session. Thirty responders reported a program match rate of 83%. Approximately 97% (n = 29) of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the questions asked during the mock interview session were reflective of questions asked during residency interviews. Discussion Lessons learned from this mock interview session can be applied to PGY1 residency mock interview sessions held locally, regionally, and nationally. Summary Students participating in the ACCP Mock Interview Session recognized the importance of the interview component in obtaining a postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency.

The aim of this study was to derive a new plan-scoring index using normal tissue complication probabilities to verify different plans in the selection of personalized treatment. Plans for 12 patients treated with tomotherapy were used to compare scoring for ranking. Dosimetric and biological indexes were analyzed for the plans for a clearly distinguishable group (n = 7) and a similar group (n = 12), using treatment plan verification software that we developed. The quality factor (QF) of our support software for treatment decisions was consistent with the final treatment plan for the clearly distinguishable group (average QF = 1.202, 100% match rate, n = 7) and the similar group (average QF = 1.058, 33% match rate, n = 12). Therefore, we propose a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) based on the plan scoring index for verification of different plans for personalized treatment-plan selection. Scoring using the new QF showed a 100% match rate (average NTCP QF = 1.0420). The NTCP-based new QF scoring method was adequate for obtaining biological verification quality and organ risk saving using the treatment-planning decision-support software we developed for prostate cancer.

In this competitive business era, Klinik Bunga Melati (KBM) has changed its business and management strategies 3 times in the last 2 years with the aim of adjusting internal and external conditions in the health sector and make KBM superior to other competitors. KBM expects the development of technology that can be applied efficiently and integrated between KBM internally. In 2018, KBM teamed up with the Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) Kesehatan. In this regard, BPJS provides a Health Facilities Information System (HFIS) with the aim of making it easier for health units to make claims. But the leader of the KBM considers HFIS not suitable to be implemented in the KBM Welirang Branch. The KBM Welirang Branch staff must do 2x recapitulation of patient medical records every day. There are quite a lot of variables in HFIS besides self-data, staff must also write data related to diagnosis, details of drugs used, drug costs, and doctor's fees. Based on the KBM leaders interview, this is considered to be very time-consuming and costly because HR has to work 2x more and patients need more time to get action. HOT-Fit method is considered suitable for this research because this model can provide an explanation and provide an evaluation of the application a system in the field of health services from human factors (human), technology (technology), organization (organization) and net benefits. The output of this research is an analysis of aspects that need to be improved and the match rate of HFIS implementation in the KBM Welirang.

Humpback whales migrate seasonally from high latitude feeding areas to lower latitude breeding areas for mating and calving. In 2004–2006, a North Pacific basin-wide study called SPLASH was conducted as an international collaboration among various groups of researchers. The Russian Far East consists of multiple high latitude feeding areas and during SPLASH, 102 whales were identified and compared to catalogs from breeding areas. Our goal in this study was to further investigate the migratory destinations of whales from the Russian Far East using a total of 1,459 photographs of whales identified from 2004 to 2014. We compared the latest Russian catalog with the SPLASH catalog from wintering areas (2004–2006) and with two additional regional catalogs from Okinawa (1989–2006) and the northern Philippines (2000–2006). We found a total of 152 matches: 106 with Asian, 35 with Hawaiian, and 11 with Mexican breeding grounds. The match rate was higher in mainland Kamchatka and consisted mostly of whales from the Asian breeding ground. In the Commander Islands, the proportion of whales from Asia was twice that of Hawaii and six times higher than Mexico. The total match rate was low, supporting the hypothesis of some undiscovered humpback whale breeding location in the North Pacific.

Objectives/Hypothesis The objectives of this study were to summarize externship experiences among recent graduates and current residents in otolaryngology residency programs and determine whether externships affect the match process. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods A survey was distributed to otolaryngology residents in allopathic US residency programs and otolaryngology graduates from the past 5 years (2011–2015). There were 2,141 surveys distributed. Results There were 654 subjects who responded, for a 30.5% response rate. Most respondents were residents (n = 438, 67%). Of the residents, 85.6% had completed at least one externship compared to 75.9% of graduates (P = .002). The most common reasons for selecting a particular externship were geographic location (74.2%) and program reputation (71.1%), whereas the most common reason for not completing an externship was being advised not to (59.1%). Furthermore, 82.6% of respondents received at least one interview from their externships, 90% went to those interviews, and 89.1% reported that externship experiences affected their rank list. Respondents had a 32.7% match rate to the externship residency program if it was ranked versus a 48.8% match rate if the program was ranked first. Respondents who matched at the externship residency program matched higher on their rank list (P < .001). Of the respondents, 90.7% found externships to be valuable, and 74.5% recommended completing one. Conclusions Externships are beneficial because they influence the rank list of applicants and are viewed as valuable experiences. Completing an externship is advisable for the experience, but applicants should weigh the benefits versus the possible risk of being judged more harshly during a month-long rotation. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 2017

For some international medical graduates (IMGs), becoming an American Board of Medicine Diplomate (ABIM) may sound extremely hard or perhaps impossible. Those who think this way forget the obvious fact that almost 25 percent of the medical workforce in the United States started exactly like them as international medical graduates (1). It may also come to everyone's surprise that the number of non-US citizens IMGs continues to grow, and has been the highest ever last year based on the latest National Residency Matching Program Report (2). Moreover, the match rate for non-U.S. citizen IMGs continues to grow to reach 50.5% in 2016, up from 49.4% in 2015. In this paper, we reflect on our own journey from being international medical graduates preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLEs) to American board certified physicians and will take you a step further through the initial steps of fellowship. We hope this will help guide other IMG's and make their dream one day come true. Keywords: Postgraduate Education, International Medical Graduates, Residency

During 2013–2015, oilseed rape samples from various locations in the Czech Republic were analysed for the presence of Verticillium wilt. Samples were evaluated in the lab using ELISA and PCR as well as by visual evaluation during the samples collection. A comparison of detection match in individual methods also was made. ELISA and PCR matched in detecting Verticillium wilt in 60 % of cases. For practical use, a higher match rate would be necessary in cases where samples were to be analysed in various laboratories using only one of these techniques. The possibility was demonstrated to use kits as well as primers not targeted specifically to just Verticillium longisporum but recording both main species on oilseed rape (V. longisporum and V. dahliae). The match rates of lab analyses with visual evaluation of stand infection were surprisingly high at 62 % for ELISA and 77 % for PCR. All three stand evaluation methods matched in 56 % of cases.

Introduction The current demand for pharmacy residencies far exceeds supply. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if presence of a pharmacy residency elective course has an effect on the American Society of Health System Pharmacists Residency Matching Program (“the Match”) rates. Methods Data from the 2018 residency match were collected. Independent variables such as presence of a residency preparation elective course, residency track availability, school's affiliation with a residency program, interest in residency (as measured by the number of students enrolled in the Match divided by the number of degrees conferred), age of pharmacy school, first-time 2018 North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination pass rates, number of degrees conferred in 2018, funding status, and geographic region were analyzed to determine factors that could affect or had an association with match rates. Results From 139 accredited pharmacy schools, data from 135 schools of pharmacy were included in this study. The match rate for schools with a residency preparation elective course compared to those without was 61% and 62%, respectively. Following univariate linear regression analysis, availability of a residency course did not significantly affect residency match rates. The covariates of geographic region and funding source were significantly predictive of residency match success. Conclusions The presence of a residency preparation elective course in the curriculum did not have a significant effect on 2018 match rates when accounting for various variables. It is uncertain whether enrollment in such an elective would have an effect on match rates.

To describe applicant characteristics and outcomes associated with the ophthalmology fellowship match.Retrospective case-control study.This study took place in San Francisco and matched data for ophthalmology fellowship applicants in the USA. The study population was registrants for the 2010-2017 ophthalmology fellowship match cycles. The match rate took place during the 8-year study period. Applicant characteristics were stratified by match status and factors associated with matching to ophthalmology fellowship positions.Between 2010 and 2017, most applicants (2,558/3,471; 73.7%) were matched into ophthalmology fellowship programs. No difference over time in the proportion of applicants that matched for fellowship was identified (P = .41). On average, ophthalmology residents who were matched into fellowships had higher step 1 (difference: 9; 99% confidence interval [CI]: 6.8-10.9; P.001), step 2 (difference: 9.5; 99% CI: 7-12; P.001), and step 3 (difference: 7.4; 99% CI: 5-9.7; P.001) scores than those who did not match. Applicants who matched also had a greater number of application distributions (difference: 9.6; 99% CI: 7.9-11.2; P.001), and ranked programs on the match list (difference: 6.2; 99% CI: 5.8-6.7; P.001). Among applicants who matched, 15% matched at the same institute, 29% matched in the same state, and 45% matched in the same region. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with an increased likelihood of matching into an ophthalmology fellowship program included graduates from the US versus graduates from non-US residency programs (odds ratio [OR]: 2.09; 99% CI: 1.27-3.44; P.001), increasing percentage of applications ranked (number of ranked programs and/or number of applications distributed) (OR: 1.02; 99% CI: 1.02-1.03; P.001) as well as having ranked more programs (OR: 1.24; 99% CI: 1.17-1.31; P.001). Medical graduate status outside of the US (OR: 0.58; 99% CI: 0.36-0.93; P.001) was associated with decreased odds of matching for fellowship.From 2010 to 2017, approximately three-quarters of residents applying for an ophthalmology fellowship position matched. Factors associated with increased likelihood of matching included the applicant's graduating from a U.S. residency, graduating from a U.S. medical school, ranking more programs, and having a higher percentage of applications ranked (number of programs ranked by applicant and/or number of applications distributed). The information gained from this study may help applicants as they consider applying to fellowship programs.

The Match is a daunting process for everyone, but it can be exceedingly more complicated for couples. Accordingly, the Couples Match was introduced by the National Residency Match Program in 1984 and has been witnessing a steady increase in the number of participating couples over the past 30years. The highest number of couples participating in the match, and the highest match rate among them, was recorded in 2018. In this article, we provide couples considering the Couples Match, with one or both partners planning to apply to emergency medicine, with insights on this process. Although it may initially appear to be complicated, the Couples Match enables partners to obtain postgraduate training in geographic proximity to one another. With good communication between the partners and their advisors, an exciting joint venture can unfold that is fueled by the strength of the couple.

Dermatology is arguably the most competitive residency (81.6% match rate for United States allopathic seniors) with significantly more applicants than available positions. To objectify this process, the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) has produced bi-annual Charting Outcomes in Match (COM) datasets, which aggregate data from the prior two application cycles and tabulate statistics to aid applicants. In parallel, online forums provide medical trainees with vast amounts of information, including residency application insights. Reddit medical school subforum compiles annual spreadsheets of anonymous, individualized applicant data to aid future applicants. We compared this data to NRMP data to show that although the data means are similar (e.g. Step 1), the Reddit dermatology spreadsheet collects more data and the individualized nature aids applicants in a personalized way unlike the mean aggregate data in NRMP. Under univariate analysis, Alpha Omega Alpha status, overall publications, and dermatology-specific publications are associated with interview invitation rates. Although limitations of the study include small data size and reporting bias, this is the first of its kind to our knowledge to compare these two often-used tools to aid dermatology applicants. Future endeavors should expand anonymous data reporting and use the data to carry out more extensive studies to investigate factors influencing the application process.

Statistical matching techniques aim to build a dataset by combining different data sources. In recent years, matching techniques have been employed in various fields. However, because of some difficulties, there are only a few applications to company data. In this study, we proposed a new statistical matching methodology for company datasets by employing multinomial logistic regression model. The weighted distance was used to compute the probability of true match pairs through the model. The probability helps classify the record pairs as truly matched or not. We applied these techniques to a commercial company dataset and the official economic census microdata. The results showed that our method performs better than the nearest neighbor method used in the previous study in terms of true match rate.

We examine the degree to which training models for specific sub-groups within a population can help improve precision and recall in linking historical records. We focus on an application of linking individuals between the 1900–1920 US censuses. Our results are an inverse of the transfer learning question and also relate to the ways in which training data built for the full population can result in biased predictions for minority groups in the population. We find that training a model specifically for German-born Americans improves our precision rate for these links from 79.1% to 92.7% while decreasing our recall from 94.5% down to 91.4%, thus dramatically increasing our true match rate for this subgroup. Similar analysis can be done based on gender, birthplace, race, and uniqueness of one’s surname.

Although nearly half of medical students are female there is still a significant discrepancy in the number of women specializing in radiology. In 2013, 26.9% of US diagnostic radiology residents were female, a 1% increase in 20 years from 25.5% in 1990.The purpose of this project is to determine the effectiveness of the interventions implemented at a single medical school at decreasing negative attitudes about radiology held by medical students of all genders and whether those same interventions will increase the number of female medical students matching into radiology.The interventions were implemented between 2012 and 2016 and included incorporation of radiology into preclinical curriculum, electives in radiology for 3rd year students, a "Women in Radiology Panel," and increase in female radiology faculty visibility. First year medical student participants of all genders used a free text box to write their attitudes about radiology, which were categorized into the "six most common attitudes about radiology." Fourth year medical student participants used a free text box to write the reasons why they did not choose radiology as a specialty, and those answers were then placed into the same six categories. We then analyzed the data using Fisher's Exact Test to determine whether there was a decrease in the negative misperceptions after exposure to the interventions. We also then determined whether there was an increase in the number of women matching into radiology using Chi-Square analysis.There was a decrease in the negative misperceptions between 1st and 4th years, with the most notable decrease from 51% of 1st years to 0% of 4th years listing radiologists as being antisocial (p0.01). There was also a significant increase in the number of female medical students matching into radiology in the years in which students were exposed to 4 years of intervention when compared to three and fewer (0.76%-4.2%, p = 0.01).Exposure to 4 years of the interventions demonstrated a significant increase in the female match rate into the specialty when compared to female medical students who experienced three or fewer years of intervention. Additionally, it appears that these same interventions decreased the number of students of all genders having some of the common negative misperceptions about the field of radiology.

BACKGROUND The competitiveness of orthopaedics and recent changes in the residency application process have resulted in increased costs to both applicants and programs. Our purpose was to investigate changes in the orthopaedic residency application process between 1992 and 2017. Also, we aimed to determine an ideal number of applications that each student can submit without jeopardizing his or her probability of matching into an orthopaedic residency slot while concurrently reducing the excessive number of applications that are received by program selection committees. METHODS Retrospective data from both the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) were collected and analyzed for changes in the characteristics of applications, applicants, and programs over the study period. Using these data, the probability of matching into orthopaedics through the years was calculated and compared in order to propose an ideal number of applications for a medical student to submit to match into an orthopaedic residency. RESULTS Over the study period of 25 years, there has been an increase in the number of residency positions offered and a decrease in the number of applicants per offered position among U.S. senior medical students. Nonetheless, the average number of submitted applications per applicant significantly increased from 1992 to 2017, from 28 to 80 applications (p < 0.001). As a result, the overall costs to apply and review applications also have increased. There was no association between the increased number of submitted applications and the match rate. Our analysis showed that 50 applications per student offer is the most effective option without compromising the overall applicant match rate. CONCLUSIONS Based on these data, we suggest encouraging students to limit the number of applications that they submit. This limit could reduce the cost for both applicants and programs while likely maintaining the current match rate and competitiveness of the specialty.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of overlapping surgery on the risk of adverse outcomes in urologic surgery. METHODS Coarsened exact matching was used to assess the impact of overlap on outcomes among urologic surgical interventions (n = 4853) over 2 years (2013-2015) at 1 health system. Overlap was categorized as any overlap, beginning overlap or end overlap. Study subjects were matched 1:1 on 11 clinically relevant variables. Serious unanticipated events were studied. RESULTS Four hundred and thirty-four patients had any overlap and were matched (n = 575, a 75.47% match rate). For beginning/end overlap, matched groups were created (n = 108/83 patients, match rate was 83.07/75.45%, respectively). Among matched patients, any overlap did not predict unanticipated return to surgery at 30 or 90 days. Any overlap predicted neither reoperation, readmission, or ER visits at 30 or 90 days. Overlap patients showed no difference in mortality during follow-up. Beginning/end overlap had a similar lack of association with serious unanticipated events. CONCLUSION Nonconcurrent overlapping surgery is not associated with adverse outcomes in a large, matched urologic surgery population across 1 academic health system.

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignancy with the highest incidence in women. Great progress has been made in research related to traditional precision medicine for BC. However, many reports have suggested that patients with BC have not benefited a lot from such progress. Thus, we analyze traditional precision medicine strategies for BC, sum up their limitations and challenges, and preliminarily propose future orientations of precision medicine strategies based on a database on drug reaction of patients with BC. According to related research, traditional precision medicine strategies for BC, which are based on molecular subtypes, perform pertinent treatments, new drug research and development according to molecular typing results. Nevertheless, these strategies still have some deficiencies. First, there are very few patients with each molecular subtype, the match ratio of drugs is low. Second, these strategies can not solve the problem of poor drug sensitivity resulting from heterogeneity. The main strategy we put forward in the present paper is based on patients’ varying drug reactions. Focusing on treating existing patients and maximizing the utilization of existing drugs, it is expected to not have deficiencies of traditional precision medicine for BC, including low match rate and poor therapeutic efficacy arising from tumor heterogeneity of BC.

The growing adoption of biometric identity systems, notably face recognition, has raised questions regarding whether performance is equitable across demographic groups. Prior work on this issue showed that performance of face recognition systems varies with demographic variables. However, biometric systems make two distinct types of matching errors, which lead to different outcomes for users depending on the technology use case. In this research, we develop a framework for classifying biometric performance differentials that separately considers the effect of false positive and false negative outcomes, and show that oft-cited evidence regarding biometric equitability has focused on primarily on false-negatives. We then correlate demographic variables with false-positive outcomes in a diverse population using a commercial face recognition algorithm, and show that false match rate (FMR) at a fixed threshold increases >400-fold for broadly homogeneous groups (individuals of the same age, same gender, and same race) relative to heterogeneous groups. This was driven by systematic shifts in the tails of the imposter distribution impelled primarily by homogeneity in race and gender. For specific demographic groups, we observed the highest false match rate for older males that self-identified as White and the lowest for older males that self-identified as Black or African American. The magnitude of FMR differentials between specific homogeneous groups (

Background There has been no peer-reviewed published data analyzing the microsurgery match since it was established. The aim of this study is to present and analyze match data to inform residents and programs regarding outcomes. Methods Anonymized data were requested from the San Francisco Match, which was plotted and analyzed utilizing Pearson's Chi-square, unpaired t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Match data was obtained from the years 2014 to 2018. The match rate decreased from 84.6% in 2015 to 67.3% in 2018, mean = 73.7 (8.29%), and (p = 0.01735). The position fill rate fluctuated from 82.9% in 2014 to 90.0% in 2016, mean = 86.5 (3.0%). In 2014 and 2015, 66.7% of applicants matched their first or second choice compared to 48.0% in 2018, mean = 58.7 (8.3%), (p =.04785). Matched applicants ranked mean = 6.6 (1.4%) programs versus 3.4 (1.3) for unmatched, (p Conclusion The application process for microsurgery has become more competitive. Matched applicants rank more programs than do unmatched. Fully filled programs rank more applicants per position than do unfilled or partially filled. Applicants and programs are increasingly less likely to match their top choices.

The large number of computational cores and the high memory bandwidth provided by modern graphics processors (GPUs) make them an ideal hardware accelerator for in-memory hash joins. Over the last decade, significant research effort has been put into improving the performance of hash join operation on GPUs. Looking back at the literature, we find that the fundamentals of the GPU hash join operation has remained unchanged. In-spite of this, modern GPU hash join implementations have managed to achieve over 5.3x end-to-end performance improvement over the original implementation by taking advantage of the GPU architecture features introduced in the last decade. Hence, a systematic revisit of the hash join implementations from the perspective of GPU hardware changes is necessary to understand the past research and to guide future studies. In this paper, we first revisit the major GPU hash join implementations in the last decade and detail how they take advantage of different GPU architecture features. We then perform a comprehensive performance evaluation of these implementations using the latest hardware. This helps to shed light on the impact of different architecture features and to identify the factors guiding the choice of these architecture features. Finally, we study how data characteristics like skew and match rate impact the performance of GPU hash join implementations and propose techniques to improve the performance of existing implementations under such conditions.

We build a model to understand educational mismatch and income inequality among highly educated workers. For occupations and workers with college majors, educational mismatch negatively impacts wage but positively correlates with wage inequality. We examine different channels that contribute to wage inequality by identifying three underlying reasons behind the mismatch, namely, preference, promotion, and search friction and quantifying their impacts. Quantitatively, preference and promotion negatively contribute to an inequality increase from 1990 to 2000; match premium and search friction contribute to a 28.4% and 5.3% increase in inequality, respectively. We conclude that educational mismatch significantly affects income inequality and that this impact varies based on the underlying reasons. The study has important policy implications as it shows that policies for improving education match rate and educational signaling and less market friction can reduce wage inequality.

Background and Aims The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) advanced endoscopy fellowship (AEF) match offers a structured application process for AEF training in the United States. Our aim was to describe recent trends in AEF match, trainee experience, and postfellowship employment. Methods ASGE AEF match data from 2012 to 2020 were reviewed. Online surveys were sent to advanced endoscopy trainees in 2019 and 2020 to explore their perceptions about AEF training and postfellowship jobs. Results Data for 2020 showed 19% of matched applicants were women, 55% foreign medical graduates, and 17.5% U.S. visa holders. The number of AEF match applicants increased by 15.6% (90 in 2012 to 104 in 2020) and number of AEF programs increased by 23.5% (51 in 2012 to 63 in 2020). The average applicant match rate was 57% (range, 52.8%-60.6%) and position match rate 87.9% (range, 79.1%-94.6%). Ninety-one percent of trainees (n = 58) rated the quality of their training as very good/excellent; 75% of trainees participated in >300 ERCPs and 64.1% in >300 EUS cases. Seventy percent of trainees reported that advanced endoscopic procedures comprised ≤50% of their procedure volume in their first job, and 71.9% believed it was not easy to find a job after fellowship; however, 97% believed they would make the same decision to pursue AEF training again. Conclusions There has been a steady increase in the number of advanced endoscopy applicants and training positions over recent years. Most graduating fellows reported 50% or less of their upcoming clinical practice would involve advanced endoscopic procedures. Future studies are needed to further clarify employment opportunities and personnel needs for advanced endoscopists.

Background The aim of this study was to analyze the trends in the proportion of students from various educational backgrounds who matched into categorical general surgery (GS) residency positions. Methods National Resident Matching Program reports (1994 to 2014) were analyzed, and regression was used to estimate the trends for each group. Results The match rate into GS-categorical residency has remained stable; however, since 1994, we witnessed a 13% decrease in US seniors matching into GS. This has corresponded to proportional increases in matches for US citizens from international medical schools (US IMG, 1350%) and a 62% increase for non-US citizen international medical graduates (non-US IMG) into GS. In comparison, US IMG matches into all first-year postgraduate positions increased by 468%, whereas non-US IMG matches decreased by 15%. Conclusions The stable match rates into categorical GS residencies are not because of US seniors but rather because of a rise in the number of IMGs. In contrast to the decreased reliance on non-US IMGs in all other specialties, GS is accepting a larger proportion of non-US IMGs.

Background Medical students in the United States are inconsistently exposed to ophthalmology. Not only is this eroding U.S. medical graduates' ability to diagnose and treat ophthalmologic conditions, it may potentially affect interest in the specialty. Methods To assess medical student's interest in pursuing ophthalmology training, this study sought to evaluate the match rate trend among U.S. medical school seniors applying into a U.S. ophthalmology residency and compare the trend to another traditionally competitive surgical subspecialty, otolaryngology (ENT). Results From 2009 to 2013, the rate of successful residency matching for ophthalmology increased (12% increase per year in the odds of matching [95% CI: 1.04, 1.20]), while the ENT match rate decreased (7% decrease per year in the odds of matching (95% CI: 0.87–0.99). The ophthalmology match rate increased despite the fact that the expansion in the number of graduating U.S. medical students outpaced the increasing number of ophthalmology and ENT residency positions. Conclusion The increasing match rate in ophthalmology is surprising and suggests that U.S. medical student's interest in ophthalmology may be waning. Future investigations are needed to determine the reasons behind the increasing match rate and the potential decreasing interest of medical students toward ophthalmology.