Change to an informal interview dress code improves residency applicant perceptions.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Residency Admissions
• Applicant Experience

Background:

• Traditional residency interviews mandated formal business suits.
• A shift towards informal attire was implemented in one emergency medicine residency program.
• The study evaluated the impact of this dress code change on applicant perceptions and costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if a relaxed dress code influenced applicant perceptions of the residency program.
• To determine if the informal attire decreased overall costs for applicants.
• To evaluate the effect on applicant comfort and program ranking.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was administered to emergency medicine residency applicants over two application cycles (2012-2013).
• Applicants reported on the dress code's effect on program perception, comfort, costs, and rank list placement.
• A response rate of 76.6% was achieved from 236 surveyed applicants.

Main Results:

• 85.1% of applicants appreciated the informal dress code.
• 66.7% worried more about what to wear, with males reporting higher discomfort (p=0.008).
• 27.7% reported lower costs, and 21.7% ranked the program higher.

Conclusions:

• An informal dress code enhanced applicant comfort and reduced expenses.
• The dress code change positively influenced program ranking for a subset of applicants.
• Consideration of dress code flexibility in residency admissions is warranted.