General surgery residency interviews: are we following best practices?

Abstract

Background: The interview is one of the most important factors in selecting candidates for general surgery residency. There is significant research on best practices for conducting interviews. Blinded interviews and standardized questions improve interview utility and accuracy; however, their utilization in surgical residency programs is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the current practices of surgery residency programs in the interview process and the application of established best practices.

Methods: An online survey consisting of 26 questions was distributed to program directors of accredited surgery residency programs in the United States and Canada.

Results: Overall, 108 responses (40%) were received. The vast majority of programs (90%) reported basing at least 25% of their final ranking on the interview score. Only 22 (20%) programs reported using some form of blinding for their interviewers. Five programs (5%) reported using standardized interview questions.

Conclusions: Few residency programs use blinded interviews or standardized questions. This may indicate a gap between research findings and practice and may represent an area for improvement in the resident selection process.

Keywords: General surgery residency; Graduate medical education; Medical students; Residency interview; Resident selection; Undergraduate medical education.