Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May 31;6(4):551-557.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.009. eCollection 2024 Jul.

The Experience of the Virtual Interview Process for Hand Fellowship Program Directors

Rohun Gupta  1 , Isabel Silva  2 , Isabel Herzog  2 , Peter K Firouzbakht  1 , Joseph Weisberger  2 , Michael M Vosbikian  3 , Brian A Mailey  1
Affiliations

The Experience of the Virtual Interview Process for Hand Fellowship Program Directors

Rohun Gupta et al. J Hand Surg Glob Online. .

Abstract

Purpose: Due to the Coronavirus Disease-19 pandemic, the fellowship application process has transitioned from in-person interviews to virtual interviews. Although several studies have assessed the impact of Coronavirus Disease-19 on residency and fellowship interviews, fewer studies have investigated the program director's perspective. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the experience of virtual interviews on hand fellowship program directors and understand some of the important factors that may make an applicant more competitive.

Methods: A 21-question survey was conducted through Google Forms and distributed through a standardized email to hand fellowship program directors and coordinators. Questions used a 5-point Likert scale with the opportunity for respondents to answer some questions in a free-response format. Statistical analysis was conducted with significance assigned to P values < .05.

Results: Ninety-three surveys were distributed, of which 35 responses were obtained, corresponding to a 37.6% survey response rate. Program directors reported that they tended to place more emphasis on applicant's curriculum vitae, calls from colleagues, and applicants that they had previously met. In addition, program directors felt that applicants were able to accurately represent themselves through the virtual format. Finally, most program directors stated that they were highly likely to continue to offer virtual interviews.

Conclusions: With several parenting organizations and program directors affirming that they are comfortable with proceeding with virtual interviews, it is essential for hand fellowship applicants to understand what factors program directors may perceive as more important. It is possible that the virtual interview process may effectively achieve suitable matches between applicants and institutions.

Type of study/level of evidence: Decision analysis IIIb.

Keywords: Hand fellowship; Hand surgery; Interviews; Surgical education; Virtual.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hand fellowship institution type.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age breakdown of program directors.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Length of tenure breakdown for program directors.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Survey responses stratified by age.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Survey responses stratified by program type.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Survey responses stratified by duration of program director tenure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Chang T.C., Hodapp E.A., Parrish R.K., et al. Virtual versus in-person surgical fellowship interviews and ranking variability: the COVID-19 experience. Preprint. Res Sq. 2021;rs.3
    1. Pathak N., Schneble C.A., Petit L.M., Kahan J.B., Arsoy D., Rubin L.E. Adult reconstruction fellowship interviewee perceptions of virtual vs in-person interview formats. Arthroplast Today. 2021;10:154–159. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bamba R., Bhagat N., Tran P.C., Westrick E., Hassanein A.H., Wooden W.A. Virtual interviews for the independent plastic surgery match: a modern convenience or a modern misrepresentation? J Surg Educ. 2021;78(2):612–621. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Peyser A., Gulersen M., Nimaroff M., Mullin C., Goldman R.H. Virtual obstetrics and gynecology fellowship interviews during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a survey study. BMC Med Educ. 2021;21(1):449. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Swendiman R.A., Jones R.E., Blinman T.A., Krummel T. Disrupting the fellowship match: COVID-19 and the applicant arms race. J Surg Educ. 2021;78(4):1069–1072. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources