Radiology experts anticipate that virtual residency interviews will persist even beyond the pandemic, according to a new analysis published Thursday in Academic Radiology.
COVID-19 prompted program directors to move the traditional interview process onto the web and seek out online substitutes for departmental tours and pre-interview dinners. University of Louisville researchers recently sought to explore PDs’ thoughts on the change, distributing an online survey to nearly 200 residency programs across the U.S.
They found that leaders appear to be happy with this new normal, with yesterday’s approach potentially gone for good.
“Programs generally perceived success with the virtual model in selecting applicants, and programs’ social media utilization increased overall,” Tracy Van Meter, MD, an associate professor of radiology at Louisville, and co-authors wrote Jan. 6. “Based on these data and the socioeconomic factors involved, we posit that virtual interviews represent an adequate substitution for the in-person model and will persist even after the pandemic ends,” they added later.
Meter et al. conducted their survey in summer 2021, targeting diagnostic radiology residency program directors via the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s website. Only 31 programs completed the questionnaire, for a response rate of 16%. About 68% said the new interview format was “very successful,” while 87% believe they were adequately able to gauge applicants. Asked to rate their preference between the two options, 35% selected virtual interviewing, 45% chose in-person, while the other 20% were unsure or favored neither.
Prior to the pandemic, U.S. Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores (65%), letters of recommendation (55%), and medical student performance evaluations (39%) were listed as the top criteria for ranking candidates. And these numbers remained statistically unchanged after the arrival of COVID-19. With no significant shifts in selection criteria, the authors noted, the findings may indicate that a virtual model is a viable alternative that mirrors traditional interviewing.
“Many programs remain undecided on whether they will continue to offer virtual interviews once it is again safe to conduct in-person interviews, whereas some programs have already decided to continue offering virtual interviews after the pandemic ends,” Meter and co-authors wrote. “As such, for upcoming radiology application cycles, it will be crucial for programs to facilitate an easily accessible and organized virtual interview-day experience.”
Read more about their findings in the Association of University Radiologists’ official journal here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.