How Competitive Is the Canadian Diagnostic Radiology Residency Match? Application and Matching Trends From 1991-2014

Stephanie A Kenny; Kaisra Esmail; Rebecca M Hibbert; Matthew D F McInnes

doi:10.1016/j.carj.2015.09.004

How Competitive Is the Canadian Diagnostic Radiology Residency Match? Application and Matching Trends From 1991-2014

Can Assoc Radiol J. 2016 May;67(2):105-11. doi: 10.1016/j.carj.2015.09.004. Epub 2016 Jan 30.

Authors

Stephanie A Kenny¹, Kaisra Esmail¹, Rebecca M Hibbert², Matthew D F McInnes³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
² Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: mmcinnes@toh.on.ca.

PMID: 26831733
DOI: 10.1016/j.carj.2015.09.004

Abstract

Purpose: The study sought to evaluate application trends in Canadian diagnostic radiology residency programs and to assess the relative competitiveness of radiology as a specialty.

Methods: The Canadian Residency Matching Service Reports from 1991-2014 for Canadian graduates were used to extract the total residency positions and radiology residency positions, number of applicants to all specialties and to radiology, number of first-choice radiology applicants, number of unmatched radiology positions, and number of positions and applicants to each specialty. Ratios were calculated: radiology positions to applicants and first-choice applicants, first-choice radiology applicants to applicants for all specialties, and training positions to applicants in each specialty. Data trends and correlation coefficients were analysed.

Results: The number of radiology residency positions offered increased, with strong positive correlation (r = 0.91, P < .001), while the number of applicants increased with only a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.49, P = .03). Radiology was the most competitive in 1997, with a ratio of 0.32 positions/applicant. There was an increase of positions/applicant over time (decreasing competitiveness; r = 0.76, P < .001) but no change in positions/first-choice applicant (r = 0.11, P = .65). The highest percentage of applicants who ranked radiology as their first choice was in 2003 at 6.5% with a decrease in this percentage over time (r = -0.36, P = .13). Radiology is moderately competitive for positions/overall applicants and very competitive for positions/first-choice applicants compared to other specialties.

Conclusions: The number of radiology residency positions has increased while the number of applicants has not grown commensurately. The match was most competitive in 1997, and decreased in subsequent years. Possible reasons include job market, reimbursement, and work environment.

Keywords: Education; Postgraduate education; Residency training; Resident selection.

MeSH terms

Adult
Canada
Career Choice*
Competitive Behavior*
Humans
Internship and Residency / statistics & numerical data*
Radiology / education*
Surveys and Questionnaires