Year two of virtual interviews: longitudinal changes and diverse perspectives

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic brought the virtual interview (VI) format to graduate medical education (GME) and the trainee recruitment process. It is unclear if applicants' VI experience is consistent across all demographic groups. Our group collected 2 years of survey data to assess longitudinal changes in applicants' attitudes towards the VI format. In addition, demographic data were collected, and analyses were performed to identify if between-group differences were present amongst a diverse applicant population.

METHODS

We distributed an anonymous electronic survey to applicants to the pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship programs at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and MetroHealth Medical Center for the 2021 and 2022 appointment years.

RESULTS

We received 112 responses (20% response rate) for our surveys. Although there was an overall stability of responses between the first 2 years, there were significant gender differences with applicants identifying as female more likely to recommend VI as a future model. Similarly, there were a significant difference in factor importance based on underrepresented minority (URM) status with applicants identifying as URM placing more emphasis on programs' social media presence.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant change in the responses of applicants between the first 2 years of VI. However, subset analyses revealed multiple significant findings. These differences have implications for future iterations of the VI format.

Anonymous Online Survey on Disordered Eating, Drive for Muscularity, Sexual Orientation, and Satisfaction with Life in Young Swedish Males

Psychiatric conditions in general, including eating disorders, are stigmatizing conditions. The stigma of eating disorders is even more pronounced among males. We conducted an anonymous, online survey to explore the feasibility of recruiting participants for collecting sensitive information, and the relation among eating disorders, drive for muscularity, satisfaction with life, and sexual preference in males (N = 824) aged 15-30 years in Sweden. Internet survey method was a feasible way of recruiting males and obtaining sensitive information. Drive for muscularity was positively related to eating psychopathology. Interestingly, only the attitudinal aspect of the drive for muscularity was negatively related to satisfaction with life, whereas the behavioral component of the drive for muscularity was unrelated to quality of life. Drive for muscularity and disordered eating were not significantly different across participants with various sexual orientations. Our findings corroborate and extend previous research by using an anonymous Internet-based survey that may be less contaminated by social desirability or reporting bias due to the sensitivity of some of the questions.

Eating disorder risks and awareness among female elite cyclists: an anonymous survey

Background

Eating disorders (EDs) are an increasingly recognized concern in professional sports. Previous studies suggests that both female gender and endurance sports put athletes at risk. Female elite cyclists are hence of specific interest. The present study aimed at evaluating the distribution of the individual risk of ED in this group. Further the association between individual risk and both the awareness for the topic ED and the deviation from “normal” weight was depicted.

Methods

Female cyclists registered with the Union Cycliste Internationale were contacted via email or facebook and asked to complete a survey comprising age, weight, the Eating-Attitude-Test (EAT-26), and questions regarding ED awareness. The observed distribution of the EAT-26 score was compared to results from previous studies in normal subjects and athletes. The distribution of the ED awareness was described and ED awareness was correlated with the EAT-26 score. Both the deviation from ideal weight and the body mass index (BMI) were correlated with the EAT-26 score.

Results

Of the 409 registered athletes 386 could be contacted, 122 completed the questionnaire. Age ranged from 20-44yrs, BMI from 17.0 to 24.6 kg/m². In the EAT-26, 39 cyclists (32.0%) scored above 20 points indicating a potential benefit from clinical evaluation, 34 cyclists (27.9%) scored 10–19 points suggesting disordered eating. Sixteen athletes (13.2%) had been treated for an ED. About 70% of athletes had been pressured to lose weight. The mean EAT-26 score was above the average observed in normal female populations. It was also above the average observed in many female athlete populations, but lower than in other leanness focussed sports. More than 80%of athletes perceived elite cyclists at risk for developing ED. Increased ED awareness and deviation from the ideal weight were associated with higher EAT-26 scores, but not the body mass index.

Conclusion

Female cyclists are at risk of developing ED and they are aware of this risk. To improve their health and well-being, increased efforts to support elite cyclists and their teams in preventive activities and early detection are crucial.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13102-022-00563-6.