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Virtual or In-Person? A Census of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Interview Formats for Match 2025
Darin Friess1, Eden N VanderHoek2, Ruth Carver Bondurant2
1Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
Background:
Since the Match began in 1952, residency interviews were traditionally conducted in person. This abruptly changed in 2020 when virtual interviews became mandatory. In 2024, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommended retaining the virtual format. However, the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors left interview formats up to individual programs for the 2024 to 2025 cycle. This study examined what format orthopaedic surgery residency programs chose to interview their candidates for the 2024 to 2025 interview season.
Methods:
The list of orthopaedic surgery residency programs in the United States was compiled from the AAMC Electronic Residency Application Service Directory website. Each program's interview format (virtual, hybrid, or in-person) was detailed using the Orthopaedic Residency Information Network, individual program websites, and direct communication with program coordinators. Programs' geographic locations (state and region) and class size (small <4, medium 5-8, and large ≥9 residents) were also recorded.
Results:
Interview format data were obtained for 182 of 198 (92%) total orthopaedic surgery residency programs. Of these, 128 programs (70%) held in-person interviews, while 46 (25%) opted for virtual and 8 (4%) used a hybrid format. There was high variability in interview choices across states, ranging from all in-person interviews to exclusively virtual interviews (p = 0.03). Interview formats varied slightly by region. The West (43%) held a higher proportion of virtual interviews than the Northeast (27%), Midwest (21%), Southeast (23%), or Southwest (16%). However, regional differences were not statistically significant. Finally, programs with small class sizes conducted virtual interviews (38%) more frequently than medium (13%) or large (0%) programs (p = 0.002).
Conclusions:
Orthopaedic surgery residency programs favored in-person interviews in the 2024 to 2025 interview season. Program state and class size were associated with choice of interview format, whereas regional differences were not statistically significant.
