Virtual Residency Interviews Reduce Cost and Carbon Emissions

Virtual Interviews in Postgraduate Medical Education Recruitment: Is There a Future Post-Pandemic?

“…3 One study of urology residency applicants comparing in-person interviews and electives to a virtualized process demonstrated average cost savings of $173 per interview, for each applicant, just from transportation costs. 6 The transportation costs amounted to an average total of $2,198 for each applicant, with over $1 million saved for the virtual interview applicant pool. 6 Studies have shown that virtual interviews save on average $3,000 to $8,000 per applicant, with over 90% of applicants reporting having spent less money in the virtual interview process than the in-person process.…”

“…6 The transportation costs amounted to an average total of $2,198 for each applicant, with over $1 million saved for the virtual interview applicant pool. 6 Studies have shown that virtual interviews save on average $3,000 to $8,000 per applicant, with over 90% of applicants reporting having spent less money in the virtual interview process than the in-person process. 4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] This is a particularly important consideration, as studies have also demonstrated that costs associated with in-person interviews can deter applicants from applying to multiple programs or accepting multiple interview offers.…”

“…4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] This is a particularly important consideration, as studies have also demonstrated that costs associated with in-person interviews can deter applicants from applying to multiple programs or accepting multiple interview offers. 1,6,14 Similarly, in-person interviews also involve significant program costs. Program directors have reported an average additional $13,300 for social expenses over a single interview season.…”

“…Using an estimated carbon calculator of roundtrip car and flight travel, one study demonstrated that, comparing in-person to virtual interviews for urology residency applicants, virtual interviews reduced emissions by 3011 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent (tCO 2 e). 6 This reduction is equivalent to emissions generated over a year from 182 typical Americans and would require 3689 acres of forests to generate these emissions in a year. 34 For Canadian residents in 2020, in-person interviews led to 4239 tCO 2 e emitted (with approximately 1.44 tCO 2 e/applicant), 35 compared to virtual interviews, which produced only 2.9 tCO2e (0.99 kgCO2e/applicant), thus reducing emissions by 98.4% to 99.9%.…”

Virtual Interviews for Breast Imaging Fellowship During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Program Directors and Applicants

“…Many medical specialties have reported their experiences with virtual interviews for residency and fellowship programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including lessons learned and advice for successful virtual interviews ( 3–19 ). Reported benefits of virtual interviews include decreased cost ( 3 , 7 , 20–22 ), decreased carbon footprint ( 3 , 22 , 23 ), and potential for increased diversity and more equitable access ( 3 , 24–26 ). Unfortunately, the virtual interview format does not allow applicants to visit the institution or the city, which can limit assessment of institutional culture and desirability of the geographic location ( 27 , 28 ).…”