Breast Imaging Fellowship Virtual Interviews: The Program Director's Perspective.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology
• Fellowship Training

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to virtual interviews for medical fellowship programs.
• Breast imaging fellowship programs adopted virtual interviews to maintain recruitment continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess breast imaging fellowship program directors' views on the virtual interview process.
• To identify strengths and weaknesses of virtual interviews in fellowship recruitment.

Main Methods:

• A 20-question survey was distributed to 99 breast imaging program directors.
• Data was collected from September 9 to October 1, 2022.
• Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the survey responses.

Main Results:

• A 64% response rate (63/99) was achieved.
• Significant variation existed in application numbers and interviews offered.
• Key benefits included efficiency and flexibility, while conveying program atmosphere was a challenge.

Conclusions:

• Virtual interviews offer advantages in efficiency and flexibility for breast imaging fellowship recruitment.
• Improving the virtual representation of program culture is crucial for future online interviews.
• These findings can inform the optimization of virtual interview strategies for both programs and applicants.