Abstract
Objective
Medical students are routinely advised to rotate into their specialty of interest
later in the year, likely to gain clinical experience, improve their clerkship performance,
and therefore garner positive recommendations or performance reviews. However, there
is little research to support this guidance. This study aims to examine a large multi-institutional
cohort of students who matched into obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) programs,
to determine if there are any differences in match rates based on rotation timing.
Study Design
In this IRB-approved retrospective cohort study, we included 204 students who matched
in OBGYN from five geographically diverse medical schools between 2019 and 2023. The
academic year was divided into trimesters due to varied rotation lengths among schools.
We utilized bivariate statistics and regression models to examine the percentage of
students matching in each trimester, as well as the percentage of students rotating
during the first block of the academic year.
Results
After controlling for race and gender identity, there was no significant difference
in match rates for OBGYN between those who rotated early in the clerkship year and
those who rotated later. Students from schools without choice in timing were more
likely to rotate in the first trimester.
Conclusion
For this cohort, there is no difference in match rates into OBGYN based on the timing
of their core rotation.
Key Points
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Clerkship timing was not linked to match success among OBGYN applicants.
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Students without choice rotated earlier but matched at similar rates.
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Findings may reassure students concerned about when to schedule OBGYN clerkships.
Keywords
residency match - clerkship timing - rotation timing - OBGYN
