TARRANT COUNTY PHYSICIAN (13)
January/February 2021
Virtually Interviewing for Residency in the
Midst of a Pandemic TThe residency application process has
our zygomatic muscles to maintain a soft
smile throughout the events of the day.
We try our hardest to convey ourselves
in the best light possible, both figuratively
and literally (many of us have invested in
elaborate lighting set-ups).
This is not an indictment of the
residency programs whose attention we
are vying for. These are unique times,
and residencies face similar obstacles
to those encountered by the applicants
being interviewed. As we evaluate a place
we may call home for the next three to six
years, residency programs are navigating
how to choose a class of interns without
meeting them in person. Then there is the
additional challenge of representing the
program’s values and culture on a screen.
Many have attempted to replicate preinterview
dinners with meal delivery gift
cards or virtual resident speed-dating. One
residency even sent a care package with
personalized memorabilia from their city.
Although we have lost the ability to
explore our future landing spots during
the “golden year” of medical school,
there are still many silver linings to
consider. Instead of having to coordinate
plane rides and lodging, applicants can
Student
Article
by David Lam, OMS-IV
interview from coast to coast in the
comfort of a home setting. For students
under financial strain, there are fewer
restraints on our ability to consider
programs that are farther away. Then
there’s the benefit that few will admit—
wearing shorts or yoga pants out of view
of the camera frame during your interview.
While this certainly is not how I
dreamed my fourth year would go, I
nevertheless feel grateful. Leaders in
graduate medical education are creatively
finding ways to help us make informed
decisions about the next step of our
training. As we interview with leaders
in our respective specialties, we reflect
on the rollercoaster journey of medical
school and the plethora of lessons
learned. In the process of making our
rank list, we ask ourselves hard questions
about what our priorities are. How do
we envision our professional identities
and who are the people we want to
be around during the formative years
of residency training? I look forward to
the day when I can be the grey-haired
attending who wistfully shares stories
of virtually interviewing in the midst of a
global pandemic.
changed significantly over the past
several decades. I remember a greyhaired
attending telling me that when
he applied to residency, it consisted
of hopping in a car, driving down the
freeway, and requesting meetings at
hospitals he encountered along the
way. A strong handshake later, and the
promise of training in the specialty of
his choice was secured. Since then, the
Match process has been transformed
with the stratification of candidates
by board examinations which dictate
competitiveness for certain specialties.
We are under pressure to shine starting
on day one, with no assurance that our
labors will be rewarded by placement into
a residency program.
The class before mine underwent the
pomp and circumstance of their Match
days at home, sidelined by the COVID-19
pandemic. My class is interviewing for
residencies through virtual platforms.
We do our best to capture the vibe of
a program through an online tour of a
hospital recorded on a GoPro camera
attached to a resident’s forehead. Our
webcams are always on, and we exercise