What's Worth Doing in Virtual Recruitment? A Regional Survey of Program Directors and Incoming Interns

In 2020-2021, the Family Medicine Residency Network (FMRN) programs participated in virtual recruitment. We conducted a study to describe the recruitment activities utilized by programs and to identify which of these activities were most and least helpful to both students and the programs.

In May 2021, we sent an electronic survey to the incoming interns (n=242) asking which recruitment activities they participated in, which were most and least helpful in deciding their rank list, and which most positively impacted their perception of the program. Simultaneously, we surveyed the 43 FMRN program directors (PDs), asking them which virtual recruitment activities they offered, which were most and least helpful in creating their rank list, and which they thought most positively impacted students' perception.

The 167 intern survey responses (69% response) indicated that virtual interviews and virtual get-togethers with residents were most helpful to deciding rank list order while receiving gifts and meals were least helpful. Websites, bios, and social media positively impacted perception of a program. PDs (79% response) overestimated the importance of the recruitment video and a prerecorded hospital/clinic tour and underestimated the importance of resident-only social interactions to the applicants.

Programs may improve the effectiveness of their virtual recruitment process by maximizing interactions with current residents and creating opportunities for interviews with individuals in different positions across the program. Reducing spending on gifts and meals frees up funds better spent on activities with greater impact such as website improvement and more events for student interaction with current residents.