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

Abstract

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".

Figure 1

Region of respondent's medical school (question #2). Thirty-one percent of survey respondents (24/78) attended medical school in the Mid Atlantic, 33% (26/78) in the South, 13% (9/78) in the Midwest, 3% (3/78) in the West, 6% (5/78) in New England, and 14% (11/78) attended medical school outside of the United States.

Figure 2

Opinions on social media (questions #3,4). (A) Question #3. Seventy one percent (55/78) of respondents reported using a program's social media account(s) to learn more about a program. (B) Question #4. Forty-two percent (33/78) of respondents reported that social media played a vital role in the 2020-2021 application season.

Figure 3

Applying to programs (question #5). Thirty-five percent (27/78) of respondents reported applying to more programs than they would have if interviews were not virtual.

Figure 4

Accepting interviews (question #6). Fifty-eight percent (45/78) of respondents reported accepting more interviews than they would have if interviews were not virtual.

Figure 5

Interviewing at undesirable programs (question #7). Eighteen percent (14/78) of respondents reported interviewing at programs that they were unlikely to rank based on location.

Figure 6

Effect of virtual open houses on applicant decision-making (questions #8-10). (A) Question #8. Sixty-nine percent (54/78) reported attending a virtual open house during the 2020-2021 application cycle. Fifty-seven percent (30/54) of those in attendance reported that attending the virtual open house influenced their decision to apply to a program. (B) Question #9. Thirty-nine percent (21/54) of those who reported attending a virtual open house stated the virtual open house influenced their decision to accept an interview from a program. (C) Question #10. Thirty-nine percent (21/54) of those who attended a virtual open house reported that attending the virtual open house influenced their ranking of a program. Thirty-one percent of all respondents (24/78) did not attend a virtual open house.

Figure 7

Effect of virtual dinner/happy hours on applicant decision-making (questions #11-12). (A) Question #11. Ninety-two percent (72/78) respondents reported attending a virtual pre/post interview event. (B) Question #12. Sixty-three percent (49/78) respondents reported that a virtual dinner/happy hour influenced their ranking of a program.