eP428 - Examining the Role of In-Person Interviews in the Colorectal Surgery Fellowship Application Process: A Pilot Study

Purpose/Background: To maintain the fellowship application process during the COVID-19 pandemic, colorectal fellowship programs abruptly switched from in-person interviews to virtual interviews. While the concept of virtual interviews pre-pandemic was largely unthinkable, the majority of colorectal fellowship interviews remained virtual post-pandemic. Which method of interview is optimal for the applicant is unknown and unstudied. In this study we hypothesized that in-person interviews would be preferred by applicants over virtual interviews.Methods/Interventions: For this current fellowship application cycle (2024-2025) the University of Chicago Colorectal Fellowship conducted in-person interviews. All applicants that were accepted to interview for the University of Chicago Fellowship Program were asked to complete a 10-question survey. To eliminate the risk of bias, the survey was distributed on October 23, 2023, after both the programs and applicants could certify their rank list. This research was deemed exempt from the IRB.Results/Outcomes: Of the 29 applicants that were invited to interview, 20 accepted the invitation and attended the in-person interview. 6 applicants have replied to the survey, all-of whom attended the in-person interview. On average, applicants applied to 48 fellowship programs and attended 16 interviews. Every interview besides the University of Chicago was virtual. The overall mean cost of this cohort to apply to colorectal fellowship was $1046.83 (SD=$544.76, Range $535-1850). The additional mean cost of travel to attend the in-person interview at the University of Chicago was $578.33 (SD=$292.19, Range $200-1100).All 6 respondents preferred the in-person format over a virtual interview. Four out of 6 applicants stated the in-person interview was much better, whereas 2 out of 6 said the in-person interview was better than the virtual format. Most candidates (5/6) felt that the interview significantly changed their perception of our program. Open-ended responses produced consistent themes. Applicants cited the opportunity to meet the faculty as well as other co-applicants in a more natural environment as a notable positive. Five out of 6 applicants noted no difficulty in arranging time off for the in-person interview. One of the six candidates raised concerns about cost.Conclusion/

Discussion: The optimal method for colorectal surgery fellowship remains unknown. Survey results from six applicants who attended an in-person interview were overwhelmingly positive, and the majority preferred an in-person format. Given the limited sample size, further respondents from this ongoing study or future studies will be needed to confirm the applicant preference for colorectal surgery fellowship interviews. As other fellowship programs may consider in-person interviews in the following year, we anticipate being able to collect additional data to fully identify the pros/cons of either approach.