Otolaryngology Residency Interviewing Dates and Practices: What Should an Applicant Expect?

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis Scheduling otolaryngology interviews may be a challenge for residency applicants due to overlapping interview dates. Our objective was to identify otolaryngology interview date patterns and scheduling conflicts over the past six application cycles. Study Design Retrospective review of otolaryngology online forums (http://Otomatch.com and Student Doctor Network). Methods Online threads related to residency interview dates posted during the 2012 to 2013 through 2017 to 2018 interview seasons on http://Otomatch.com were reviewed. Program directors were contacted to complete any missing data. The χ‐ goodness‐of‐fit test and the χ2 test of independence was used to compare proportions. Analysis of variance was used to compare values across years. Results Data from an average of 98 programs (99%) per year were obtained. The majority of invitations arrived late October (49%), followed by early November (37.1%). Interviews occurred primarily in December (48.4%) and January (37.5%). Programs on average scheduled 2.47 (range, 0–4) interview dates. Most interviews fell on Fridays (28.7%) and Saturdays (22.7%) (P < .0001), with an increasing trend toward interviewing on consecutive days. There was substantial overlap in interview dates, with six dates alone accounting for an average of 31.3% of all interviews in a given interview cycle. Conclusions The majority of otolaryngology interviews occur in December or January and fall on a Friday or Saturday. There is considerable overlap with the potential for scheduling conflicts. Our findings can help set expectations for applicants regarding interview invitations, as well as a strategy for scheduling interviews. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 129:2280–2285, 2019

Advocating for a New Residency Application Process: A Student Perspective

“…Similarly, otolaryngology instituted a 3-week interview invitation window, limiting the period during which applicants must remain vigilant. 13 In obstetrics and gynecology, over 90% of applicants reported these reforms reduced anxiety in the application process, with the 72-hour response period representing the most important change. 14 Additional benefits include fewer distractions for students participating in clinical rotations during this period, reduction in hoarding, and fewer late cancellations as applicants receive invitations from more desirable programs.…”

Ideas and Innovations to Improve the Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Residency Application and Selection Process

“…This forces applicants who receive the largest number of interviews to decide between programs, which opens up interviews for other applicants. An analysis of the 2012 to 2018 Match years showed that although the 2017 Match contained the least overlap between interview dates, this time period coincided with 10 programs entering the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) and 14 unfilled spots 31 , 32 . By minimizing interview date overlap, programs enabled interview hoarding by certain applicants, which may negatively affect “less qualified” applicants.…”

“…An analysis of the 2012 to 2018 Match years showed that although the 2017 Match contained the least overlap between interview dates, this time period coincided with 10 programs entering the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP) and 14 unfilled spots. 31,32 By minimizing interview date overlap, programs enabled interview hoarding by certain applicants, which may negatively affect ''less qualified'' applicants. This phenomenon contradicts the traditional notion that programs should attempt to minimize overlapping interview dates.…”

Proposal for the Standardization of Otolaryngology Residency Interview Offer Dates

“…The timing of the single interview offer date is selected to balance the need for programs to meaningfully review applications with the scheduling logistics of applicants to complete interviews within the historical window for most otolaryngology programs. Programs have access to complete applications, including the medical student performance evaluations, on September 29, 2021, and most otolaryngology programs conduct interviews in the months of December or January 9 . Hopefully, over a full month of application review will encourage holistic review of applications and deter programs from quickly sifting through applications via cutoff scores or screening metrics.…”