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Videoconference interviews may be valuable in candidate selection for orthopedic fellowship
Use of videoconference interviews for orthopedic fellowship programs may have a valuable role in evaluation and selection of candidates and may benefit candidates who cannot travel to an on-site, in-person interview, according to results published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
“Based on 4 years of experience, video conference interviewing can be used successfully for selecting orthopedic adult reconstruction fellows,” William L. Healy, MD, co-author of the study, told Healio.com/Orthopedics. “The fellowship applicants appreciated the convenience of videoconference interviews, and online interviews consume less time and cost than in-person interviews. Videoconference interviewing may have applicability for selecting medical students and residents.”
In a review of surveys received from 47 candidates who participated in videoconference interviews for an adult reconstruction fellowship during 2015 through 2017, Healy and colleagues found 85% of candidates believed they had a satisfactory understanding of the adult reconstruction fellowship through the videoconference interview and fellowship manual. Results showed the videoconference interview met the expectations of 89% of candidates. Researchers noted 85% of candidates believed they were able to present themselves to the program to their satisfaction through the videoconference interview, and 81% were able to rank the program after videoconference interviews. In the subjective comments, researchers found universal gratitude for the convenience and low cost associated with the videoconference interviews.
However, the investigators noted several concerns with the survey results, including that 15% of candidates did not feel they had the opportunity to present themselves on the videoconference interview to their satisfaction and that, after the videoconference interview, 19% of candidates were not comfortable ranking the program. It also concerned the investigators that 34% of candidates had an unfavorable impact on the ranking of the program after the videoconference interview and 30% of candidates felt videoconference interviews were not a good format for fellowship interviews.
“If more programs adopt videoconference interviews in the future, the increased utilization of videoconference interviews may diminish this adverse perception of videoconference interviewing compared with on-site, in-person interviewing,” the researchers wrote. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.