WIP 100 - Does Virtual Interviewing Provide the Information for a Satisfactory Rank Decision? A Perspective from the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Interviews

Poster Number: WIP 100
Publication Number: WIP 100.823

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled a swift transition to virtual interviewing (VI) across diverse medical disciplines. Numerous studies have underscored the non-inferiority of VI compared to in-person interviews, highlighting substantial time and cost savings for both applicants and programs. Despite its widespread implementation, VI remains largely unstandardized. Notably, no studies, to our knowledge have delved into retrospective assessments of satisfaction with the VI process post-matching.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to determine whether current fellows and program directors in United States Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Programs are satisfied with the VI process in terms of their respective matches in retrospect. The secondary objective is to assess areas in which the VI process can be improved.

Design/Methods: UT Southwestern and other US PEM fellowship leaders collaborated on this survey study. The first survey targets PEM fellows in the 2023-2024 academic year who matched between 2020-2022; it evaluates VI accuracy in representing vital program attributes and assesses the effectiveness of specific interview components. The second survey, for PEM program directors with 3+ years' experience, explores types of interview components employed, evolution of the VI process, and intentions for future VI improvements. Both surveys gauge overall satisfaction with the VI process with regards to their matches, and overall preference for interview modality (VI vs in-person vs hybrid).
Study approval was secured from the UTSW Institutional Review Board, and data collection is currently underway via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCapTM), a secure, web-based software platform. The PEM Survey Committee has distributed anonymous electronic surveys for an 8-week active duration with a deadline of November 13, 2023. After data collection is complete, descriptive data (counts, percentages, means, medians) will be presented, and analysis will use Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact Test for group comparisons (p-value < 0.05 as significant).