Physician Assistant School Applicants' Perceptions of Virtual Interviews.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Admissions Processes

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to virtual formats for many aspects of medical education.
• Physician Assistant (PA) programs adapted to virtual interview formats during the 2021-2022 admissions cycle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the attitudes of physician assistant (PA) program applicants towards virtual interviews.
• To understand applicant preferences for virtual versus in-person interviews in PA school admissions.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design was employed, surveying 164 applicants to PA programs in the United States.
• Anonymous online surveys collected demographic data and applicant feedback on virtual PA school interviews conducted between March 2020 and January 2022.

Main Results:

• Overall satisfaction with virtual interviews was above neutral (3.7 ±1.0).
• A majority of participants (56%) preferred virtual interviews over in-person.
• Key benefits cited were lower travel costs, less time off work, and the ability to interview with more programs.

Conclusions:

• Virtual interviews are a preferred format for many PA applicants, primarily due to economic and logistical advantages.
• The findings support the continued use and exploration of virtual platforms in PA admissions and potentially other medical education contexts.