It was the night before the interview: perceptions of resident applicants about the preinterview reception

The Effect of Virtual Interviews and Social Media on Applicant Decision-Making During The 2020-2021 Resident Match Cycle

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the residency application and interview process. Due to social distancing concerns, residency programs have had to virtually showcase their program to applicants, many utilizing social media. Similarly, applicants have had to devise novel ways of assessing "goodness of fit", one of the top factor's applicants use when ranking programs (1). Whether or not these attempts made an impact on an applicant's decision-making process has yet to be determined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Residency candidates interviewing for a diagnostic and/or interventional radiology residency position at our institution completed an online survey. The goal of the survey was to assess the potential influence of virtual interviews, social media, and virtual events on an applicant's decision to apply to, interview at, and rank residency programs.

RESULTS

78/156 (50%) candidates completed the survey. Thirty-five percent reported applying to more programs and 58% reported accepting more interviews than they would have if interviews were not virtual. Forty-two percent reported that social media played a vital role during the application season and 71% reported using social media to learn more about the program. Sixty-nine percent attended a virtual open house, 57% of whom reported that attending the open house influenced their decision to apply to a program. Sixty-three percent reported that attending a virtual reception influenced a program's ranking.

CONCLUSION

Social media has had a growing role in the medical community, and the COVID-19 pandemic likely accelerated an inevitable shift in residency program "branding" and how applicants perceive overall "goodness of fit".

The Virtual Recruitment Onion: Peeling Back the Layers of the Interview Season During the COVID-era

OBJECTIVE

We sought to characterize General Surgery residency program directors' (PDs) baseline perspective on how the COVID-19 mandated changes to the recruitment and interview processes impacted how the PDs evaluated and recruited the applicants.

DESIGN

An anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

SETTING

A large, mid-western academic general surgery residency program.

PARTICIPANTS

47 PDs of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited General Surgery residency programs.

RESULTS

During the virtual-only interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic-era 2020-21 General Surgery residency application cycle, PDs shifted their focus to virtual outreach efforts and bolstered social media presences to recruit strong applicants. Also, our study found statistically significant changes to the increased value of letters of recommendation (LORs) for the PDs when assessing an applicant's commitment to surgery. These findings suggest that the necessity of adapting to the virtual-only interview format significantly altered how the PDs recruited and evaluated applicants for the General Surgery residency match.

CONCLUSIONS

A complete replacement of the in-person interviews with virtual-only interviews may be challenging unless buy-in exists from key stakeholders in the surgical community. Our study highlights the PDs' hesitation in assessing candidates' commitment to surgery from virtual interviews alone. Incorporating virtual interviews as a part of the screening process for applicants may serve as an avenue to maximize the benefits of the virtual interview format. Furthermore, COVID-19 pandemic has normalized the growing social media presence of residency programs, adding to the changing landscape of recruiting and interviewing applicants for General Surgery residency match.

Psychological Benefits and Challenges of Ph.D. Entrance Exam Virtual Interviews During COVID-19 Pandemic: Does Gender Play a Role?

This study aimed to investigate the reflections of Iranian students on Ph.D. entrance exam interviews held virtually nationwide during the Pandemic. Two hundred thirty-one Ph.D. applicants were invited to fill out an anonymous online survey designed in Google Forms, 36 out of whom volunteered to participate in follow-up semi-structured interviews. Two ANOVA measures were used to investigate the possible influences of gender and prior virtual interview experience on the applicants’ perceptions. Thematic analysis was also adopted to explore the participants’ attitudes and perceptions toward virtual interviews (VI). Quantitative findings showed that Iranian Ph.D. applicants perceived VI as a flexible and helpful procedure that provided them with satisfactory interpersonal treatment. Still, they did not favor the procedure’s perceived behavioral control and ability to communicate information to perform procedural justice. Moreover, neither their gender nor their prior experience of the virtual interview was a predictor of their perspectives’ discrepancies. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that despite having some cognitive, personal, and financial benefits, VI posed some technical, communicative, and personal challenges. This study provides implications for universities and applicants who will use VI for different purposes in higher education.

Mastering the Match: Recruiting a Successful Surgery Resident

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The objective of general surgery residency is to produce competent surgeons. At a minimum this requires being procedurally and clinically capable and able to pass the board exams. Recruitment is designed to select those residents who can successfully do so. But there is more to being a successful resident than that. In this review, we attempt to define a "successful resident" and how to attract them to your program.

RECENT FINDINGS

Resident applicants are still most concerned with matching to a program that will prepare them for a surgery career. Though there is variation of importance for different applicants, resident life, comradery, and relationships with faculty or mentors do factor into residency ranking. The program website remains the most utilized resource for applicants. However, social media (SM) has an increasing role in applicants' evaluation of a program. SM and the preinterview gathering seem to expose the subjective aspects of a program most effectively. Additional assessments evaluating personality, grit or career goals may assist in screening applicants for good "fit."

SUMMARY

In order to recruit successful residents, it is necessary to determine which applicant attributes are important to the program. Additionally, a program must maintain an updated website with clearly delineated resident expectations and program strengths. The screening and interview process must be maximized to target residents with career goals complimentary to available program opportunities. If SM is utilized, post should be frequent with relevant information pertaining to both resident life and educational or clinical opportunities.

Virtual interviews - Utilizing technological affordances as a predictor of applicant confidence

PURPOSE

In the midst of a pandemic, residency interviews transitioned to a virtual format for the first time. Little is known about the effect this will have on the match process. The study aim is to evaluate resident application processes and perceived outcomes.

METHODS

An electronic survey was distributed to 142 colon and rectal surgery residency applicants (95% of total).

RESULTS

A total of 77 applicants responded to the survey (54% response rate). Applicants reported high levels of satisfaction with virtual interviews but less comfort. Utilizing the mute button and using notes in a different way from face-to-face interviews were significantly associated with applicant confidence that they ranked the right program highest. A majority of applicants (73%) would recommend virtual interviews next year even if COVID-19 is not a factor.

CONCLUSION

While applicants appear generally satisfied with virtual interviews, they also reported less comfort. Applicant confidence was predicted by utilizing the unique technological affordances offered by the virtual platform.

Planning for Virtual Interviews: Residency Recruitment During a Pandemic

Recent directives from The Coalition for Physician Accountability, Association of Pediatric Program Directors, Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics, and Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs recommend virtual recruitment for graduate medical education (GME) programs this year. Driven by concerns for safety, equity and financial pressures, virtual interviewing will require a thoughtful approach to achieve the desired goals of recruitment. Drawing on the fields of communication and human resources management, we examine the potential effects of web-based interviews on communication through the lens of several communication theories: media richness, media naturalness, and signaling. We then review the literature on virtual interviews in GME training programs. Finally, we will provide best practices compiled from the literature.

This Surgical Life - An Exploration of Surgical Department Podcasting

OBJECTIVE

Surgical departments are increasingly utilizing media to disseminate knowledge, discuss ideas, and mentor future surgeons. Podcasts are a form of media where digitally recorded content can be downloaded or streamed. This study aims (1) to describe the audience reached by a single surgical department podcast and (2) to evaluate what sources of information surgery residency applicants use to formulate a rank list.

DESIGN

In Fall 2017, the Rocky Mountain Surgery Podcast (RMSP) was created, produced, and edited by 2 general surgery (GS) residents at a large academic training program. Each episode discussed a topic within GS training and/or educational experiences specific to the program. Interviewing GS applicants for the 2019 match were asked to complete an anonymous voluntary survey on their familiarity and opinion of RMSP and the role of podcasts in the application process.

RESULTS

Twenty-two episodes were completed over a 16-month period (October 4, 2017 - February 11, 2019). A total of 7002 individual listens occurred in 644 cities across 46 states. Ninety-eight interviewing applicants responded to the survey (99% response rate), and one-fourth had previously listened to the RMSP. Only half felt that the traditional interview experience provided enough information about a GS program, and a significant majority (97%) stated they would listen to one or more podcast episodes to gain information regarding a GS residency program.

CONCLUSIONS

Applicants to GS residency commonly feel inadequate information is gained during the interview process. Podcasts are a tool familiar to applicants that allow for exploration of topics which cannot be adequately addressed in a typical interview day, thus expanding an applicant's knowledge of a GS training program.

Factors in Residency Decision Making for Female Neurosurgery Applicants

BACKGROUND

Neurosurgery remains a specialty with one of the largest gender gaps in the United States. Neurosurgery residency programs are highly motivated to attract the best female candidates in an effort to improve their program diversity, but no studies currently exist that examine the factors of highest importance to female applicants for neurosurgery residency selection. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that female neurosurgery residents used when selecting their residency.

METHODS

A 2-part survey was sent to female neurosurgical residents by e-mails collected from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons directory and residency program websites. The survey asked participants to score 17 characteristics of residency programs in terms of importance and then asked them to rank their top 5 most influential factors when selecting a neurosurgery residency.

RESULTS

The most important factors included variety/number of cases, camaraderie and happiness of current residents, early surgical/clinical experience, and academic reputation. The least important factors included gender diversity of faculty and residents, number of female residents, number of female faculty, and attitudes toward maternity leave.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts to increase female applicants in neurosurgery residency programs should focus on highlighting some more universal, non-gender-related factors, such as happiness and camaraderie among residents and anticipated clinical experiences, as opposed to showcasing features that would seemingly appeal to female applicants, such as maternity leave and number of current female faculty or residents.

How Well Does the Standardized Video Interview Score Correlate with Traditional Interview Performance?

Introduction

In 2017, all medical students applying for residency in emergency medicine (EM) were required to participate in the Standardized Video Interview (SVI). The SVI is a video-recorded, uni-directional interview consisting of six questions designed to assess interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism. It is unclear whether this simulated interview is an accurate representation of an applicant’s competencies that are often evaluated during the in-person interview.

Objective

The goal of this study was to determine whether the SVI score correlates with a traditional in-person interview score.

Methods

Six geographically and demographically diverse EM residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education participated in this prospective observational study. Common demographic data for each applicant were obtained through an Electronic Residency Application Service export function prior to the start of any scheduled traditional interviews (TI). On each TI day, one interviewer blinded to all applicant data, including SVI score, rated the applicant on a five-point scale. A convenience sample of applicants was enrolled based on random assignment to the blinded interviewer. We studied the correlation between SVI score and TI score.

Results

We included 321 unique applicants in the final analysis. Linear regression analysis of the SVI score against the TI score demonstrated a small positive linear correlation with an r coefficient of +0.13 (p=0.02). This correlation remained across all SVI score subgroups (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that there is a small positive linear correlation between the SVI score and performance during the TI.

Computerized Residency Interview Scheduling: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Categorical General Surgery Applicants

OBJECTIVE

Scheduling interviews can be stressful and time-intensive for general surgery applicants and program coordinators. The objectives of this study were to determine whether computerized scheduling program (CSP) would decrease time to schedule interviews, reduce workload for residency coordinators, and improve applicant satisfaction.

DESIGN

A prospective randomized controlled trial of 2 interview-scheduling methods was conducted. All categorical general surgery applicants selected to interview for the 2017 match were randomized to either standard e-mail/phone scheduling or CSP using InterviewBroker. Time required to schedule an interview, number of communications, reschedules, withdrawals, and cancellations were all recorded. Additionally, applicants completed a voluntary, anonymous 9-question paper survey on their interview date. The program director and interviewers were blinded to the experimental groups.

SETTING

A single general surgery residency program.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants in the study included all categorical general surgery applicants selected for an interview in the 2017 match cycle (N = 62 standard group, N = 62 CSP group).

RESULTS

The CSP group took less time to schedule interviews (9 minutes vs. 80 minutes; p < 0.01), had fewer e-mail/phone communications (3 vs. 1; p < 0.01), and more total rescheduling events (26 vs. 4; p = 0.03) when compared to the standard group. Survey responses showed that 55% of applicants used CSPs at 5 or fewer other programs. The CSP group reported increased overall satisfaction (80% vs. 56% very satisfied; p = 0.02) and access to preferred interview dates (80% vs. 53% very satisfied; p = 0.02). Overall, 77% of applicants responded that CSPs should be widely adopted among general surgery residency programs.

CONCLUSIONS

CSPs expedited interview scheduling, decreased workload for program coordinators, and improved general surgery applicant satisfaction. However, despite the benefits of CSPs for programs and applicants, CSP use is not widespread among general surgery residency programs. Adoption of CSPs by all programs could greatly improve interview-scheduling processes for applicants and programs.

Surveying Applicants to Improve the Family Medicine Residency Interview Day

Introduction

The diversity of family medicine residency programs across the country makes a generalized assessment of applicant preferences and experiences regarding the interview experience difficult. As such, there have been few publications in recent years relating to interview trail trends and modification of the interview day process to meet the needs of applicants. The purpose of this project was to identify applicant preferences and trends among applicants interviewing at Penn State Health's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 application cycles.

Methods

Applicants completed a voluntary, anonymous, 16-question multiple-choice survey during the interview day. Questions explored the preinterview dinner, interview day, and postinterview day communication methods.

Results

In total, 67 surveys were collected from 68 eligible candidates (98.5%) in 2014-2015, and 65 surveys from 65 eligible candidates in 2015-2016 (100%) for a total of 132 participants. Applicant preferences focused on use of electronic communication and the importance of interviewing with both the program director and a current resident. Interview day trends experienced by those surveyed emphasized the inclusion of spouses/significant others, program support of hotel costs, frequency of applicant preinterview dinners, and the lack of emphasis on second-look visits.

Conclusion

This study highlights how the utilization of applicant surveys during the interview day may allow family medicine programs to identify trends occurring on the interview trail, while developing an interview day agenda that meets the desires of the applicants the program attracts.

Defining the Applicant Pool for Postgraduate Year-2 Categorical General Surgery Positions

OBJECTIVE

In the spring of 2010, a categorical general surgery postgraduate year (PGY)-2 position became available at our academic medical center secondary to attrition of a PGY-1 resident. We sought to study the unique characteristics of applicants to that position and to describe the selection process with hopes to stimulate additional studies about the unique challenges of recruiting applicants into advanced standing positions.

DESIGN

Applications were received via e-mail and reviewed to characterize the applicant pool. An Excel spreadsheet was used to organize data. Characteristics assessed included United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates status, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society status, sex, academic performance, number of case logs, volunteer and job experience, leadership roles, research experience including submissions, and advanced degrees. These characteristics were compared to those of the PGY-1 applicants through the Match that year.

SETTING

Academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS

Applicants for a categorical general surgery PGY-2 position in 2010.

RESULTS

A total of 129 applicants provided the requested documents. There were 104 males, 25 females, no Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society candidates, and 82 international candidates. Of all, 46 candidates experienced academic difficulties. Quantitative averages include USMLE 1: 214.17, USMLE 2: 215.74, American Board of Surgery In Training Examination (ABSITE) percentile = 51.96, ABSITE 2 = 46.00, grand total case log: 192.10. Advanced degrees included 2 MBAs, 6 MPHs, and 7 nonphysiology MSs. The selection process to fill the position started on 3/25/2010 when the announcement was published and ended on 5/11/2010 when the offer of acceptance was sent. The selected applicant integrated well with the peers and just graduated from our residency as one of the leaders of the graduating class.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the attrition rate in general surgery remains high, there is a dearth of literature about how best to replace residents. The hardship of replacing residents highlights the importance of studying this group to improve the recruitment process and the quality of replacement residents. The selection process was time consuming and presented its own challenges given the lack of a computerized system for screening. It lasted nearly 7 weeks requiring faculty time commitment to mine through application data/e-mails, correspond with applicants, conduct interviews, and ultimately select an applicant for the position. This is the first study to investigate the applicant pool to advanced standing positions in general surgery and we present it as a pilot study to stimulate further research efforts.

Impact of a Preinterview Dinner on Candidate Perception of a Fellowship Training Program

BACKGROUND

The interview visit is an important component of residency and fellowship recruitment that requires a substantial expenditure of time and resources for both training programs and candidates.

OBJECTIVE

Survey aimed to study the impact of a preinterview dinner on fellowship program candidates.

METHODS

A single center preintervention and postintervention comparison study was conducted using an electronic survey distributed to all Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship candidates over 3 years (2013-2015). The interview visit in 2013 did not include a preinterview dinner (no-dinner group), while the candidates interviewing in 2014 and 2015 were invited to a preinterview dinner with current fellows on the evening before the interview day (dinner group).

RESULTS

The survey was distributed to all candidates (N = 70) who interviewed between 2013 and 2015 with a 59% (n = 41) completion rate. Ninety percent of respondents (37 of 41) reported that a preinterview dinner is valuable, primarily to gain more information about the program and to meet current fellows. Among candidates who attended the dinner, 88% (23 of 26) reported the dinner improved their impression of the program. The dinner group was more likely to have a positive view of current fellows in the program as desirable peers compared to candidates in the no-dinner group.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study suggests that a preinterview dinner may offer benefits for candidates and training programs and may enhance candidates' perceptions of the fellowship program relative to other programs they are considering.

Interview Day Environment May Influence Applicant Selection of Emergency Medicine Residency Programs

Introduction

The structure of the interview day affects applicant interactions with faculty and residents, which can influence the applicant’s rank list decision. We aimed to determine if there was a difference in matched residents between those interviewing on a day on which didactics were held and had increased resident and faculty presence (didactic day) versus an interview day with less availability for applicant interactions with residents and faculty (non-didactic day).

Methods

This was a retrospective study reviewing interview dates of matched residents from 2009–2015.

Results

Forty-two (61.8%) matched residents interviewed on a didactic day with increased faculty and resident presence versus 26 (38.2%) on a non-didactic interview day with less availability for applicant interactions (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

There is an association between interviewing on a didactic day with increased faculty and resident presence and matching in our program.

Comparison of web-based and face-to-face interviews for application to an anesthesiology training program: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

This study compared admission rates to a United States anesthesiology residency program for applicants completing face-to-face versus web-based interviews during the admissions process. We also explored factors driving applicants to select each interview type.

METHODS

The 211 applicants invited to interview for admission to our anesthesiology residency program during the 2014-2015 application cycle were participants in this pilot observational study. Of these, 141 applicants selected face-to-face interviews, 53 applicants selected web-based interviews, and 17 applicants declined to interview. Data regarding applicants' reasons for selecting a particular interview type were gathered using an anonymous online survey after interview completion. Residency program admission rates and survey answers were compared between applicants completing face-to-face versus web-based interviews.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-seven (75.1%) applicants completed face-to-face and 42 (24.9%) completed web-based interviews. The admission rate to our residency program was not significantly different between applicants completing face-to-face versus web-based interviews. One hundred eleven applicants completed post-interview surveys. The most common reasons for selecting web-based interviews were conflict of interview dates between programs, travel concerns, or financial limitations. Applicants selected face-to-face interviews due to a desire to interact with current residents, or geographic proximity to the residency program.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that completion of web-based interviews is a viable alternative to completion of face-to-face interviews, and that choice of interview type does not affect the rate of applicant admission to the residency program. Web-based interviews may be of particular interest to applicants applying to a large number of programs, or with financial limitations.

Use of the Interview in Resident Candidate Selection: A Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Although the resident candidate interview is costly and time-consuming for both applicants and programs, it is considered critically important for resident selection. Noncognitive attributes, including communication skills and professionalism, can be assessed by the personal interview.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a review of the literature on the residency interview to identify the interview characteristics used for resident selection and to ascertain to what extent the interview yields information that predicts future performance.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Scopus using the following search terms: residency, internship, interview, selection, and performance. We extracted information on characteristics of the interview process, including type of interview format, measures taken to minimize bias by interviewers, and testing of other clinical/surgical skills.

RESULTS

We identified 104 studies that pertained to the resident selection interview, with highly varied interview formats and assessment tools. A positive correlation was demonstrated between a medical school academic record and the interview, especially for unblinded interview formats. A total of 34 studies attempted to correlate interview score with performance in residency, with mixed results. We also identified a number of studies that included personality testing, clinical skills testing, or surgical skills testing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review identified a wide variety of approaches to the selection interview and a range of factors that have been studied to assess its effectiveness. More research needs to be done not only to address and ascertain appropriate interview formats that predict positive performance in residency, but also to determine interview factors that can predict both residents' "success" and program attrition.