Using Kotter's Change Management Framework to Redesign Departmental GME Recruitment

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Change Management
• Recruitment Strategies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant changes to graduate medical education (GME) trainee recruitment.
• Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, a proven framework for change management, had not been previously applied to GME recruitment redesign.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement substantial changes in GME program recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The objective was to maintain successful Match outcomes and ensure a high-quality candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

Main Methods:

• Kotter's 8-Step Change Model was applied to redesign recruitment for 15 internal medicine GME programs in 2020.
• Match fill rates were collected, and Google Analytics tracked website traffic. Post-interview surveys provided candidate feedback for descriptive analysis.

Main Results:

• The implementation successfully transitioned GME recruitment to a virtual format, maintaining high program fill rates.
• Website engagement metrics improved, with doubled peak monthly page rates, increased average time on site for several programs, and a significant decrease in bounce rates.
• Candidate feedback from post-interview surveys was positive, indicating a successful candidate experience.

Conclusions:

• Applying Kotter's 8-Step Change Model effectively guided the transformation of GME recruitment across 15 programs.
• This strategic change was associated with sustained Match fill rates and demonstrably increased website engagement, highlighting the model's utility in GME recruitment.