Matched and Measured: An In-depth Look at the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Match-Fellows' Perspective.

BACKGROUND: In July 2024, the interventional cardiology (IC) fellowship match transitioned to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to streamline recruitment and ensure transparency. Our prior analysis explored the program directors' (PDs) experiences, revealing positive perceptions despite initial concerns. This current study addresses a critical limitation of the previous work by incorporating the applicants' perspective. The aim of this study is to investigate perceptions of fellows who participated in the IC fellowship for the NRMP match cycles. METHODS: This descriptive study utilized data from publicly available NRMP and Electronic Residency Application Services along with our survey to evaluate the IC fellowship match from the fellows' perspective. An anonymous online survey was distributed to fellows to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Survey topics included questions about interviews, ranking, and factors influencing rank lists, and satisfaction with the new match system. RESULTS: An anonymous national fellow survey was completed by 38% (N = 96) of IC fellows, most of whom were applicants to the 2026-2027 IC fellowship match. Seventy percent applied to >30 programs, with the majority receiving >15 invitations. Rank list depth varied, although most applicants ranked multiple programs, most commonly 6 to 10 (30%) or >15 (28%). Prematch offers were rare (13%), and 78% of applicants preferred training at external institutions, whereas the majority preferred virtual interviews. Qualitative responses emphasized procedural volume, program reputation, mentorship, and culture as key drivers of ranking decisions, whereas challenges included limited program information, inconsistent communication, uncertainty around prematch activity, and stress. CONCLUSIONS: The transition to the NRMP match for IC fellowships presented both successes and challenges from the fellows' viewpoint, complementing the PDs' perspectives documented previously. Our study helps highlight challenges in future IC match.