Otolaryngology Away Subinternships: An Analysis of the Application Process and Survey of Current Applicants' Perspectives

OBJECTIVE: To assess the availability and uniformity of application information for away subinternships and survey 4th‐year medical students on their experiences obtaining away subinternships in otolaryngology‐head and neck surgery (OHNS) during the 2022 to 2023 application cycle. STUDY DESIGN: Cross‐sectional study. SETTING: Online survey. METHODS: The Association of American Medical College's Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program was queried for information on OHNS away subinternship applications. A survey assessing 4th‐year medical students' perceptions of the away subinternship application process was distributed via OHNS residency program directors and Otomatch. RESULTS: Of 129 OHNS residency programs, 103 (80%) offered away subinternship opportunities on VSLO. Variability in application release dates (January 18 to June 3, 2022), offer release dates (January 27 to August 7, 2022), and estimated cost ($22‐$5500) were found. The most common application requirements were a transcript (98.1%) and a CV/resume (90.3%). There were 64 survey respondents, for a 13% response rate. The most common concerns include applying to too few programs (80%) and not knowing offer release dates (77%). The most common stressors include choosing a number of programs to which to apply (48%) and cost (35%). The majority (76%) reported difficulty finding updated information on program websites. Among the proposed changes, the greatest support was found for having all applications on VSLO (88%), uniform application release date (84%), and uniform application requirements (82%). CONCLUSION: The OHNS away subinternship application process is a significant source of anxiety for medical students due to the tremendous variability in application and acceptance procedures. Having all applications on VSLO, uniform application requirements, and uniform application opening and offer release dates would better facilitate this process.