Entering a Post–COVID-19 Landscape

Abstract

Introduction The Plastic Surgery Integrated track remains one of the most competitive fields in the National Residency Match Program. Match trends during the COVID-19 pandemic featured a distinct rise in regional and home program matches among plastic surgery applicants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether these trends have continued into the most recent residency match cycle in 2024. Methods Residency match data from 2019 to 2024 was gathered through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Electronic Residency Application Service, integrated plastic surgery program websites, and plastic surgery residency program social media accounts. Current trends were compared with match cycles before and during the pandemic. Results After COVID, the number of students matching at their home institution decreased to rates consistent with prepandemic norms. In the 2024 cycle, 46.9% of applicants matched at integrated plastic surgery programs within the geographical region of their medical school, which is similar to pre-COVID rates. Further, the emergence of a female-predominant plastic surgery match cohort during the pandemic has continued. In 2024, 125 (58.7%) of 213 matched applicants into integrated plastic surgery programs were female, which represents a continuation of female-majority resident cohorts since 2021. Our data showed that a sizable component of matched applicants completed visiting student electives at their matched institution. Finally, a large number of matched applicants completed a research fellowship, and a historically stable number completed research fellowships at their matched institution. Conclusion Our group reports stabilization in plastic surgery match trends in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the continuation of growth in the number of female plastic surgery residents. Although home institution retention rates returned to the baseline proportionality exhibited prior to COVID-19, medical school geographical region may continue to play an important role in the integrated plastic surgery residency match.