An evaluation of otolaryngology resources at United States medical schools

Otolaryngology (OTO) is a small surgical subspecialty, yet it is consistently ranked as one of the most competitive, with 643 total applicants for 361 positions in 2022 [1]. In such competitive settings, resources available to students, such as access to relevant interest groups, advising, and research opportunities, may make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful match [2]. For example, students at medical schools with OTO residency programs have been found to have an advantage in the match, likely due to increased exposure to the field, increased mentorship, access to research opportunities, and ability to obtain relevant letters of recommendation [3].

Given the competitiveness of the specialty and its subspecialized content, it is important to evaluate the extent to which schools provide OTO resources to help their students be successful in both career choice and match. We hypothesized that more robust OTO student resources will be available at medical schools associated with an OTO residency program, as they will have easier access to OTO faculty, and at larger medical schools, due to increased funding. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to quantify the extent of OTO resources in United States (U.S.) allopathic medical schools, evaluate medical school factors contributing to the variability of student resources, and provide recommendations on how medical schools can decrease applicant disparities by providing more complete OTO student resources.

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