The Environmental and Human Health Impact of Virtual General Surgery Residency Interviews With an In-Person Second...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Medical Education

Background:

• Healthcare contributes to climate change, partly through travel.
• The COVID-19 pandemic shifted academic medicine towards virtual interviews, reducing environmental impact.
• Post-pandemic, programs are exploring hybrid interview models combining virtual and in-person elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate net carbon emissions from a hybrid interview model (virtual + optional in-person second look) for a general surgery residency.
• To quantify the human health impact (DALYs) of this hybrid model compared to traditional in-person interviews.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of the 2022-2023 general surgery residency application cycle.
• Estimated travel distance and transportation modes for applicants attending an optional in-person second look.
• Measured environmental impact in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2e) and health impact in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs).

Main Results:

• Thirty-one percent of interviewed applicants attended the optional in-person second look.
• The second look generated an estimated 6.79 MTCO2e.
• The hybrid model avoided an estimated 27.61 MTCO2e and saved 2.8923 DALYs per cycle.

Conclusions:

• Extrapolated nationally, a hybrid interview style could reduce U.S. general surgery residency emissions by 5,001 MTCO2e annually.
• This reduction is equivalent to removing nearly 1,200 passenger vehicles from the road yearly.
• The hybrid model significantly lowers healthcare's climate impact and associated public health risks while preserving candidate interaction.