The Virtual Interview Experience: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Trends in Applicant Behavior

Residency programs and applicants were forced to hold virtual interviews during the 2020–2021 application cycle. Inability to evaluate a program and/or applicant in person has intangible drawbacks. However, there are obvious advantages: cost, convenience, and comfort. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? How have applicant behaviors changed to learn about programs in a virtual-only interview process? METHODS: A survey was distributed to 302 applicants to a single plastic surgery residency program during the 2020 application cycle. Demographics, social media presence and utilization, and experience with the virtual application and interview process were analyzed. A 2018 survey from our institution was compared with a subset of questions for longitudinal analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-six respondents (25.2%) completed the survey. Most applicants (88.2%) spent less than $1000 during the interview and application cycle. Over half (56.6%) did not receive letters of recommendation from outside their home program. A significant minority (27.6%) of applicants attended more than one interview in a single day. Compared to 2018, applicants in 2021 were significantly more likely to access alternative digital resources (forums/discussion boards, social media, and podcasts) when learning about programs. Average number of interviews remains in the range of pre-COVID studies, but the percentage of interviews attended increased. CONCLUSIONS: Applicants spent substantially less money on interviews and relied on alternative digital sources to learn about residency programs. This study objectively quantifies the advantages of virtual interviews. Disadvantages include inability to assess “fit” and lack of nonverbal communication.