Advocating for a New Residency Application Process: A Student Perspective.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency Recruitment
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a reevaluation of traditional surgical residency recruitment and evaluation methods.
• The past application cycle saw a surge in applications, difficulties in candidate-program evaluation, and uneven interview distribution.
• Longstanding concerns regarding the residency application process have led to calls for national reforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolving literature on surgical residency recruitment in the context of the pandemic.
• To advocate for specific, permanent changes to the residency application and evaluation process.
• To address challenges in candidate evaluation, interview distribution, and promote equity in recruitment.

Main Methods:

• Review of the existing literature on surgical residency recruitment and evaluation.
• Advocacy for the permanent implementation of a hybrid recruitment model.
• Proposed integration of virtual interviews, visiting rotations, and in-person visits.

Main Results:

• The proposed changes aim to leverage the strengths of both virtual and in-person formats.
• The model facilitates satisfactory bidirectional evaluation between programs and applicants.
• Implementation is expected to enhance principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment.

Conclusions:

• Permanent adoption of visiting rotations, virtual interviews with a universal release date, and in-person visits are recommended.
• These changes offer a balanced approach to candidate evaluation and program assessment.
• The proposed model promotes a more equitable and inclusive residency application process.