key: cord-0854199-u5g326ze authors: Bhardwaj, Priya; Kleiber, Grant M.; Baker, Stephen B.; Fan, Kenneth L. title: Applying to Residency in the COVID-19 Era: Virtual Interview Tips for Success date: 2020-12-15 journal: Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000003389 sha: 8a16713b3848166110c2925f079e5f017f00c132 doc_id: 854199 cord_uid: u5g326ze nan T he COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted medical education, with particular disruption to traditional residency recruiting processes. On May 11, 2020, the Coalition for Physician Accountability (a coalition of national medical organizations) released its recommendations for the 2020-2021 application cycle, one of which stated, "all programs commit to online interviews and virtual visits for all applicants rather than in-person interviews for the entire cycle." 1 Consequently, programs and medical students have had to rapidly adapt to this dynamic landscape and engage in newly created virtual opportunities. Before COVID-19, the use of virtual interviews for recruitment was limited to a few fellowship and residency programs. In regard to residency, virtual interviews were utilized during recruitment for surgical and nonsurgical specialties, including plastic surgery, urology, ophthalmology, OB-GYN, internal medicine, emergency medicine, family medicine, and anesthesiology. [2] [3] [4] Although most of these studies have described successful adoption of virtual interviews for recruitment, barriers (including applicant discomfort with the virtual format and dissatisfaction with how the applicant presented themselves during the video interview) were also reported. The OB-GYN residency program at Mayo Clinic implemented a 3-question asynchronous video interview to screen applicants during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. 2 Although 58% of candidates viewed the asynchronous video interview as effective, a large percentage (45%) were uncomfortable with it. 2 Shah et al described their experience comparing Skype video interviews and in-person interviews during the 2011 urology match. 3 Although the overall satisfaction was high with both interview modalities, the web-based interview was perceived as less effective in allowing applicants to represent themselves well during the interview. 3 Similarly, 15% of candidates applying for orthopedic surgery fellowship at one institution did not believe they presented themselves satisfactorily for video interviews. 4 These findings, along with anecdotal experience speaking with current applicants, expose a gap in an applicant's comfort with the virtual interview process and presents opportunities for continued development in this area. Based our institution's experience, we recommend strategies for success during virtual interviews in Tables 1 and 2. Practice responding to common interview questions with friends or family using the virtual platform before your interview. We highly recommend recording and watching a mock interview to critique and improve your on-camera appearance. Shortly after your interview, reflect and write down your impressions of the program. Depending on the specialty, it may be appropriate to send a thank you note to your interviewers. However, certain specialties explicitly prohibit this; so be sure to find out beforehand. Improve Assess your performance. Understand what you think went well and what may be improved upon. Continue to practice and work on any areas of weakness. The importance of effective communication and strong interpersonal skills during an interview cannot be overstated. In the 2018 NRMP Program Director's Survey, 95% and 96% of programs reported interpersonal skills and interactions with faculty during the interview, respectively, as the most important factors in ranking applicants. 5 Without traditional in-person interviews, students may have to work harder to demonstrate these qualities virtually. We recommend programs use synchronous interviews, as it allows applicants to respond in real-time and better display these qualities. Virtual interviews have some limitations for applicants, including an inability to experience the program first-hand and difficulty evaluating the program. Similarly, programs also face challenges assessing candidates virtually. However, virtual interviews confer distinct advantages, including cost savings, flexibility of scheduling, and convenience, which may lead to their permanence in the recruitment process. Although the degree to which video interviews and virtual opportunities are incorporated into the residency recruitment process remains to be seen, applicants must be well-prepared and equipped with the skills to excel under the virtual video format. For certain behavioral or situational questions, using a consistent and structured approach when responding may be valuable. The STAR method is one such example-situation (describe the situation or task), task (what goal were you working toward?), action (describe any actions you took), and result (describe the outcome of the situation). Avoid reading responses or sounding rehearsed. Other tips Be honest, concise, and confident. Although you should practice responding to common interview questions, it is essential to sound natural and conversational. Try to limit responses to no more than 1.5 to 2 minutes. Keep water and snacks nearby but refrain from eating or drinking until breaks. If you lose internet connection or something does not go according to plan, do not panic and remain flexible. Remember to smile when appropriate and have fun. Association of American Medical Colleges. Final report and recommendations for medical education institutions of LCME-accredited Use of asynchronous video interviews for selecting obstetrics and gynecology residents Randomized evaluation of a web based interview process for urology resident selection Videoconference interviews for an adult reconstruction fellowship: lessons learned NRMP Program Director Survey Results The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.