Orthodontic Residency Applicant Attributes and the Effects of COVID-19 on the Orthodontic Match Process

This study has the major focus of exploring the current state of the orthodontic match process. The first goal of this study is to determine which factors (if any) are most important in determining whether or not an applicant is interviewed and/or matches for an orthodontic residency. The second goal of this study is to see how the orthodontic residency applicant pool was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for this study is limited to individuals applying to the University of Illinois Chicago Orthodontics Program, and was collected from both ADEA Pass and the UIC Department of Orthodontics. Descriptive statistics (counts, averages, percents) were tabulated, and T-Tests, Chi-Squared Tests, and Kruskal Wallis Tests were performed to determine any significant associations between applicant variables and interview/match status, as well as to determine significant differences in the applicant population pre vs post- COVID-19. Overall results indicate that Applicant GPA, GRE Scores (all three sections), Number of Awards, Number of Presentations, and Number of Publications are applicant factors that appear to be most important in obtaining an interview offer. Race and GRE Analytical score were the two factors most significantly associated with an applicant matching. When limited to solely the pool of individuals who interviewed, GRE Quantitative score was the only variable significantly associated with an applicant matching. Additionally, results indicate that COVID-19 did not have a major impact on the demographics of the applicant pool, with only Applicant GPA and Race having significant differences pre and post- COVID-19.