Thriving in the Virtual Era: An Organized Approach to Improve Program Visibility and Virtual Residency Interview...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Residency Recruitment
• Digital Health Communication

Background:

• The shift to virtual residency interviews necessitates innovative recruitment strategies.
• Traditional recruitment methods require adaptation for the virtual environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a structured, non-traditional approach to enhance program visibility and perception.
• To assess the impact of this approach on the virtual interview experience.

Main Methods:

• Implemented resident-led, informal pre-interview communication.
• Utilized social media for program outreach, highlighting people and local culture.
• Restructured virtual interviews with meet-and-greets, small group discussions, and virtual tours.
• Assessed perceptions via anonymous surveys.

Main Results:

• Social media reach and engagement increased significantly (e.g., Facebook reach up to 4200/post, Twitter impressions up to 11,000/mo).
• Total applicants increased by 16% in 2021 compared to 2018-2020 averages.
• Interviewee perceptions of the program were exclusively positive, citing culture, people, academics, and clinical experience.

Conclusions:

• A structured approach using social media and virtual technologies can improve residency recruitment and virtual interview processes.
• This strategy enhances program visibility and maintains positive applicant perceptions.