Retrospective analysis reveals lower match rates among female applicants in retina fellowship programs, highlighting persistent gender disparities in surgical subspecialties.
Key Points
To examine trends in gender and racial/ethnic diversity among retina fellowship applicants and identify factors associated with match success.
Analyzed anonymized data from 583 applicants participating in the San Francisco Match for retina fellowship positions between 2021 and 2023.
Stratified applicant data by gender, racial/ethnic background, and underrepresented in medicine (URiM) status.
Evaluated predictors of matching using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, chi-square or Fisher exact tests, and multivariable logistic regression models.
Of 583 applicants, 398 matched, with lower match rates observed for female applicants (61.6% [106/172]) compared to male applicants (71.3%), alongside a decline in female match rate from 62.3% in 2021 to 56.9% in 2023.
Female gender was independently associated with a significantly decreased likelihood of matching into a retina fellowship (OR 0.52, p = 0.002).
Matched applicants submitted significantly more applications (median 34 vs 11, p < 0.001) and attended more interviews (median 14 vs 2, p < 0.001) than unmatched candidates.