The New Urology Match: How Recent Innovations Including Virtual Interviews and Preference Signaling Have Changed Match Outcomes

Abstract

Objectives: To determine how recent changes in the urology match occurring from 2021 to 2023, including virtual interviews (VIs) and preference signals (PS), affected match outcomes. Methods: The American Urological Association (AUA) match data from 2021 to 2023 was compared to the 15 years prior. This was obtained from the AUA website and a previous study of public AUA match data. Self-reported applicant characteristics and outcomes from the Urology Residency Applicant Spreadsheet 2021-2023 were compared to the four years prior. Results: Between 2021 and 2023, residency programs offered 43 interviews each, compared to an average of 35 in the 15 years prior. Programs have been receiving more applications each year, from a low of 225 in 2019 to a peak of 347 in 2022. This resulted in an interview offer rate of 13% between 2021 and 2023, compared to 16% in the five years prior. Applicants applied to a mean of 88 programs in 2023, increasing each year since 40 in 2006. Applicants attended 12 interviews on average between 2021 and 2023, compared to 13 in the two years prior. Self-reported applicant data similarly demonstrated that, compared to the four years prior, applicants between 2021 and 2023 applied to more programs (81 vs. 70), had a lower interview offer rate (22% vs. 32%), and a higher interview acceptance rate (90% vs. 75%). Conclusions: During the years with VIs, programs offered more interviews and applicants attended fewer on average, indicating a larger applicant pool was interviewed. Despite the introduction of PS, applicants applied to more programs in 2022 and 2023 than ever before.