On and Off‐Ramps: Residents Transferring Into and Out of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

To examine the characteristics of residents who transferred into and out of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (OHNS) residency programs in the middle of their graduate medical training, we conducted a cross‐sectional study of 2019–2023 data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. During this 5‐year period, out of 1656 total applications, 58 residents transferred into OHNS (3.5%). Most residents originated from general surgery ( n  = 51, 87.9%). Among these, no applicants for whom we had information on their original applications ( n  = 52) had initially applied to OHNS exclusively, but all had applied to OHNS as one of multiple specialties. During this time, 13 residents transferred out of OHNS (0.8%); all residents transferred into non‐surgical specialties including anesthesiology (30.8%) and internal medicine (30.8%). We conclude that those who transferred into OHNS held pre‐existing interests in the field whereas those who transferred out may desire non‐surgical practices. These findings highlight the need to support alternative on and off‐ramps for OHNS training.

Level of Evidence

4.