Introductory Video as a Supplemental Application for General Surgery Residency Candidates: Concept, Implementation,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency Admissions
• Applicant Screening

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic shifted residency interviews to virtual formats and reduced sub-internship opportunities.
• The USMLE Step 1 exam transitioned to a pass/fail scoring system in January 2022, impacting traditional applicant evaluation.
• These changes necessitated innovative approaches to assess general surgery residency candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of optional introductory videos as a supplemental tool in the general surgery residency selection process.
• To determine if video submissions could effectively aid in narrowing the applicant pool.
• To assess the feasibility and applicant response rate to a video submission requirement.

Main Methods:

• General surgery residency program received over 1200 applications via ERAS for the 2022-2023 cycle.
• 286 applicants were invited for interviews and requested to submit a 2-minute introductory video.
• Videos were reviewed by three trained admission committee members following implicit bias training.

Main Results:

• 222 (77.62%) of invited applicants submitted introductory videos, with most (94.59%) submitted within the first week.
• The average video submission length was 105.10 seconds.
• Implicit bias training was completed by all reviewers.

Conclusions:

• Optional introductory videos served as an effective supplemental application component.
• The video submissions aided in narrowing the applicant pool and identifying candidates for interviews.
• This method provided a novel way to assess applicants in the evolving residency landscape.