Evaluation of Residency Applicant Preferences for Continuing Virtual Interviews: A National Database Analysis

Background There is a paucity of evidence to guide decision-making regarding continuation of virtual interviews. Objective To evaluate residency applicant preferences for continuation of virtual interviews. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the Texas Seeking Transparency in Application to Residency (STAR) survey to evaluate (1) what percentage of applicants favor continuation of virtual interviews from 2021 to 2023, and (2) what factors predict a preference for continuation of virtual interviews. The Texas STAR survey is distributed annually to graduating medical students in the United States. It contains approximately 50 questions related to academic metrics and the residency application process, as well as 5 optional sociodemographic questions. Results The response rate for our sample was 37.3% (20 947 respondents out of 56 226 potential respondents), and 20 547 met inclusion criteria. Among these, 14 127 (68.8%) applicants favored continuation of virtual interviews. The percentage of applicants favoring continuation of virtual interviews increased annually (57.5% in 2021, 70.2% in 2022, and 78.8% in 2023; P<.001). Female sex (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.30-1.56; P<.001), underrepresented in medicine (UIM) status (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.51-2.01; P<.001), and geographic region (Central: OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.06-1.34; P=.003, and Northeast: OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07-1.34; P=.002, versus South) were associated with favoring continuation of virtual interviews. Applicants to a surgical specialty (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.53-0.64; P<.001) were less likely to agree with the continuation of virtual interviews. Conclusions Most applicants favor continuation of virtual residency interviews, a trend that has increased over 3 consecutive application cycles.