Estimation of Air Travel-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the In-Person Anesthesiology Oral Board Examination

With an increased focus on climate change in graduate medical education (GME), the environmental implications of travel for board certification examinations remain poorly described. The return to the mandatory in-person applied examination (AE) for board eligible anesthesiologists presents potentially sizeable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to the virtual format administered during the COVID-19 pandemic. To estimate the GHG emissions from air travel to the in-person AE and discuss its implications for various specialties as they return to in-person examinations. An estimate of the GHG emissions was conducted using data from the 2023 NRMP Main Residency Match: Match Rates by Specialty and State report, utilizing residency training site as a proxy for anesthesiologists' home. An alternative estimate was made using the anesthesiologists' predicted state distribution postgraduation. We estimated annual GHG emissions, expressed as metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e), produced from graduating residents flying to The American Board of Anesthesiology testing center in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. We collected emissions using the International Civil Aviation Organization emissions calculator. Annual emissions of examinee travel from their respective residency training state was estimated to be 517.37 MTCO2e. The alternative estimate using anesthesiologists' predicted postgraduation state was 568.05 MTCO2e. This estimate of CO2e roughly equates to the average annual emissions produced by 112 passenger vehicles. The AE in-person format results in an estimated 517 to 568 MTCO2e.