Assessment of Preferred Interview Format Among 2025 Urology Residency Match Applicants

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Residency Selection

Background:

• The Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) has not provided definitive guidance on interview formats for the urology match.
• Understanding applicant preferences is crucial for optimizing the residency selection process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey urology residency applicants for the 2025 match cycle regarding their preferences and perceptions of interview formats.
• To gather data on factors influencing applicant ranking of institutions.

Main Methods:

• Prospective survey administered to urology residency applicants before and after interviews.
• Utilized multiple-choice, rank-choice questions, and Likert-scale agreement ratings.
• Collected data from 142 preinterview and 25 postmatch survey completers out of 274 applicants.

Main Results:

• Applicants prioritized clinical training quality and geographic location when ranking programs.
• Most applicants disagreed that solely virtual interviews negatively impacted their perception.
• A majority agreed that in-person interviews better conveyed program culture and that meeting faculty/residents in person was valuable.

Conclusions:

• Key factors for urology applicants include geographic location, clinical training quality, and program culture.
• Virtual interviews did not lead to negative perceptions among applicants, highlighting the substantial cost of in-person interviewing.
• Despite the acceptance of virtual formats, in-person interactions remain valued for assessing program culture and faculty/resident fit.