How real is a virtual interview? Perspectives of orthopaedic surgery residency directors.

OBJECTIVE: As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 US residency MATCH was devoid of the traditional in-person interviews. Herein, we assess the impact of Virtual Interviews (VIs) on resident selection, from the perspectives of Orthopedic Surgery (OS) Program Directors (PDs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 14-item survey was sent to PDs of ACGME-accredited OS residencies. Questions were designed to assess the pros, cons, and robustness of VIs compared to their antecedent in-person format. RESULTS: Forty-seven PDs responded to our survey. VIs antagonized PDs' ability to assess applicants' fit to program (76.6%), commitment to specialty (64%), and interpersonal skills (68.1%). This led to heavier dependence upon applicants' portfolios (64%). Almost all respondents (97.9%) found VIs to be more cost-efficient, saving a median of $3000 in interview-related expenses. Overall, only 8.5% of PDs were willing to conduct exclusive VIs in future cycles, compared to the majority in favor of dual formats (51.5%) or exclusive in-person interviews (40.4%). CONCLUSIONS: VIs have been an overall success, making most PDs opt for dual interview formats in future cycles. How this technology is further implemented in the future remains to be seen.

Social media use in residency recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate the extent to which dermatology programs use social media to connect with applicants, we conducted a search of all 140 residency programs on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Our search revealed 74 (53%) Instagram, 21 (15%) Facebook, 20 (14%) Twitter, and four (3%) YouTube accounts for dermatology programs, with the number of Instagram accounts increasing five-fold from the end of 2019 to present. Our results demonstrate that conditions created during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic accelerated dermatology residency programs' acceptance of social media, particularly Instagram, as a means to communicate and share information with applicants.

Factors influencing medical student choices in the integrated vascular surgery match: Implications for future post-pandemic residency matches.

OBJECTIVE: Integrated vascular surgery residency is among the most competitive specialties, but little is known about the applicant perspective. The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak impacted the 2021 integrated vascular surgery residency match because of travel restrictions. We sought to better understand pre-pandemic applicant recruitment strategies, logistics of away rotations, and the residency interview process to identify areas for improvement in the application process. METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent to matched students in 2020, inquiring about motivations for pursuing vascular surgery (VS), logistic of away rotations and interviews, and factors influencing students' rank lists. RESULTS: Seventy of the 73 matched students completed the survey (95.9% response rate). The median age was 27 (range, 25-41); 32.9% were female, 91.4% were U.S. medical students, and 77.1% were from institutions with a VS training program. Factors most strongly influencing the decision to choose VS as a career were interest in open vascular procedures, endovascular procedures, perceived job satisfaction, emerging technologies, and influence of a mentor. The prospect of the job market, future salary, and competitiveness of the application process had the least impact. Of the matched students, 82.9% completed an away rotation (median, 2; range, 1-4), with 51.7% of students paying a total cost of more than $2500. Fifty percent of students matched either at their home institution or where they had performed an away rotation. Students reported application submissions to a median of 50 programs (range, 1-70) and interviewed at 17 (range, 1-28), with 40% of students paying a total of more than $4000 for interview costs. The most significant factors affecting students' rank lists included program culture, open aortic surgical volume, geography, and complex endovascular procedure volume. Tours of facilities, resident salary, and male/female distribution had the least importance. CONCLUSIONS: Successfully matched applicants in 2020 prioritized operative case volume and program collegiality when ranking programs. Despite their high cost, away rotations played an important role in the Match, suggesting that time spent at potential institutions allowed ideal assessment of factors for students. The high average number of away rotations and in-person interviews performed in 2019-2020 was limited for the 2021 Match due to coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Programs will have to continue developing creative alternatives or additions to away rotations and the application processes to assure continued success in future post-pandemic Match cycles.

The COVID-19 pandemic and new hire engagement: Relationships with unemployment rates, state restrictions, and organizational tenure.

The purpose of this article is to simultaneously advance theory and practice by understanding how the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic relates to new hire engagement. Prior research suggests starting a new job is an uncertain experience; we theorize that the COVID-19 pandemic creates additional environmental stressors that affect new hire engagement. First, we hypothesize that the occurrence of COVID-19 and unemployment rates relate negatively to engagement. Second, we theorize that the effects of the pandemic become more disruptive on new hire engagement as they gain tenure within the organization. Third, drawing from strategic management theory, we test whether States that introduce stronger COVID-19 policies help enhance the engagement of new hires. Examining a U.S. national sample of 12,577 newly hired (90 days or less) quick service restaurant employees across 9 months (January-September, 2020), we find support for these hypotheses. Subsequent model comparisons suggest there may be health stressors that shape engagement more strongly than purely economic stressors. These findings may be important because they highlight the experiences of workers more likely to be exposed to the pandemic and affected by COVID-related policies. Should the results generalize to other samples and jobs, this study offers potentially new research directions for understanding relationships between macro stressors and new hire perceptions and socialization. It also offers practical implications by helping organizations understand the importance of explicitly managing job insecurity, particularly in terms of COVID-19 policy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity among US Marine Recruits Attending Basic Training, United States, Spring-Fall 2020.

In a study of US Marine recruits, seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 IgG was 9.0%. Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants and participants from states affected earlier in the pandemic had higher seropositivity rates. These results suggest the need for targeted public health strategies among young adults at increased risk for infection.

Virtual Rotations During COVID-19: An Opportunity for Enhancing Diversity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to medical education. With the lack of in-person away rotations for the 2020-2021 residency application cycle, virtual rotations have surfaced as an alternative. The virtual rotations that the authors participated in allowed for active participation in various resident educational activities such as journal club, grand rounds, and morning conferences. One critical aspect of virtual rotations was the one-on-one meetings with the program leadership. In addition to a virtual tour of the hospital and campus, many programs offered virtual social hours with the residents to converse about the program, the city, and the match process. A few programs even allowed applicants to attend virtually live-streamed surgeries. These rotations offer students, especially those without a corresponding home program, an invaluable opportunity to express their interest in a particular program and gain foundational knowledge about the specialty. Virtual rotations also provide underrepresented minorities and international medical graduates with clinical exposure, mentorship, and networking opportunities, mitigating some of the challenges presented by COVID-19.

Program and candidate experience with virtual interviews for the 2020 Complex General Surgical Oncology interview season during the COVID pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID crisis hit during the interview season for the Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) fellowship. With minimal time to adapt, all programs transitioned to virtual interviews. Here we describe the experience of both program directors (PDs) and candidates with virtual interviews, and provide guidelines for implementation based on the results. METHODS: Surveys regarding interview day specifics and perceptions were created for CGSO fellowship PDs and candidates. They were distributed at the conclusion of the season, prior to match. RESULTS: Thirty (94%) PDs and 64 (79%) candidates responded. Eighty-three% of PDs and 79% of candidates agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable creating a rank list. If given the choice, 60% of PDs and 45% of candidates would choose virtual interviews over in-person interviews. The majority of candidates found PD overviews, fellows only sessions and pre-interview materials helpful. CONCLUSION: Overall, the majority of PDs and candidates felt comfortable creating a rank list; however, more PDs preferred virtual interviews for the future. Our results also confirm key components of a virtual interview day.

Virtual Interviews May Fall Short for Pediatric Surgery Fellowships: Lessons Learned From COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND: As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, many Pediatric Surgery Fellowship programs were forced to convert their normal in-person interviews into virtual interviews. This study sought to determine the perceived value of virtual interviews for Pediatric Surgery Fellowship. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to the applicants and faculty at a university-affiliated, free-standing children's hospital with a Pediatric Surgery fellowship program that conducted one of three interview days using a virtual format. RESULTS: All applicants who responded to the survey had at least one interview that was converted to a virtual interview. Faculty (75%) and applicants (87.5%) preferred in-person interviews over virtual interviews; most applicants (57%) did not feel they got to know the program as well with the virtual format. Applicants and faculty felt that virtual interviews could potentially be used as a screening tool in the future (7/10 Likert) but did not recommend they be used as a complete replacement for in-person interviews (3.5-5/10 Likert). Applicants were more likely than faculty to report that interview type influenced their final rank list (5 versus 3/10 Likert). CONCLUSIONS: Faculty and applicants preferred in-person interviews and did not recommend that virtual interviews replace in-person interviews. As the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues, more virtual interviews will be necessary, and innovations may be necessary to ensure an optimal interview process. TYPE OF STUDY: Survey. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

Nursing appeals on social media in times of coronavirus.

OBJECTIVE: to know and analyze the nursing appeals on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: it is a documentary, qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research with data collected in publications in two social media. Two hundred ninety-five publications of nursing professionals published on Twitter and Instagram between March 11 and 20, 2020 were submitted to content analysis using ATLAS.ti resources. RESULTS: four thematic categories emerged: #stayathome, #whereismyPPE, #nowweareheroes, #nothingnewinthefrontline, according to frequency of communications. The appeals show a relationship with the social relevance of nursing professional work and with the conditions required for its exercise. Final considerations: old and new challenges of the profession were placed on the agenda in social media, especially related to the workforce and instruments of labor. These speeches can serve as a foundation for policies to improve working conditions and promote appreciation of the profession.