A study aimed at assessing the impact of a pandemic-related switch to virtual recruitment from in-person interviews on the Match for vascular surgery residents demonstrated that the transition had no impact on the popularity of the specialty.
This is among the findings set to be delivered by presenting author Christina Cui, BS, a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, San Diego, during VESS Session 1b on Wednesday (2:20–3 p.m.) on the Second Floor, Room 228–230 during the 2025 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM) in New Orleans (June 4–7).
Cui was part of a research team looking at residency application and Match-related data collected from National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) reports for in-person interview cycles from 2010–2019, compared with virtual interview cycles from 2020–2024.
Cui and colleagues found that the total number of vascular surgery programs, positions and applicants were significantly higher during the virtual interview cycles, with similar increases noted in total ACGME-accredited equivalents, ultimately finding that vascular surgery became a “more competitive residency,” with fewer applicants matching at their first choice.
