ABSTRACT 20 Making the Match: Characteristics of Successful Applicants to the Urology Match Authors: Fatima Husain MD, Steve Weissbart MD, Jeffrey Stock MD Purpose: No study to date has identified the applicant characteristics that are associated with successfully matching into urology, and ultimately becoming a urologist. As matching into urology residency is the gateway to becoming an urologist, an appraisal of how the next generations of urologists are being chosen is warranted. To this end, we compared the characteristics of urology residency applicants who matched to who did not match. Methods: After obtaining IRB approval, we conducted a retrospective review of the applications of the 291 candidates who applied to Mount Sinai School of Medicineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Urology residency program for the 2014 match. This represented 65% of the total applicants for the 2014 Urology match. Queried application parameters included: USMLE scores, Alpha Omega Alpha status, research presentations/publications, medical school, gender, and minority status. The primary outcome, successfully matching into a urology residency position, was determined for each of the 291 applicants by matching the AUA identification number on the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application to the AUA 2014 Urology Match List. Nonparametric tests were used to compare the two groups and a logit model was created to assess the relationship between matching with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores. Results: Applicants who matched had a higher median USMLE step 1 score (243 versus 234, p=.001) as well as a higher median USMLE step 2 score (250 versus 235, p= 0.005). There was no difference in median age between the groups (26 versus 26, p=0.141). Gender did not influence matching success (p=0.701). 95% of applicants who matched had a publication compared to 88% who did not match (p=0.031). 98% of applicants who matched had volunteer experience compared to 91% who did not match (p=0.019). 88% of applicants who matched reported work experience compared to 80% who did not match (p=0.063). The odds of matching were increased with a higher USMLE step 1 score (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, p<0.001) and a higher USMLE step 2 score (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07, p<0.001). Conclusion: Applicants who matched into urology only had slightly better qualifications than those who did not match. Further research is needed to assess whether these credentials are predictive of performance as a resident, and ultimately a practicing urologist.
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