Journal Review in Surgical Education: Recent Changes to the Residency Application Process

Application season is almost here! Whether you are about to apply to surgery residency or are part of a program recruiting applicants, there are several recent changes to the process that you should be aware of. Residency recruitment continues to see increased numbers of applications that create challenges for both students and programs. ERAS and other organizations are trying to address these issues with alterations to the application process. Today, we’ll discuss how the ERAS supplemental application, as well as new concepts like a single interview release period and decoupled rank lists, can help. We’re joined by Dr. Jennifer LaFemina, one of the leaders in these efforts within the general surgery recruitment process.

Learning Objectives
- Listeners will describe current challenges in the residency recruitment process.
- Listeners will describe the value that changes such as the ERAS supplemental application can add to the residency recruitment process.
- Listeners will recognize the results that changes to the residency application process have had during the first 2 years of implementation in surgery.
- Listeners will consider how alterations to the residency application process can be successfully applied within their own program or application.

References:
LaFemina J, Rosenkranz KM, Aarons CB, et al. Outcomes of the 2021-2022 APDS General Surgery Recruitment Process Recommendations. Journal of Surgical Education. 2023;80(6):767-775. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.02.019

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