Increasing Applicant Engagement During the 2020-2021 Virtual Residency Interview Cycle and Beyond: The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Radiology Residency Video Project

Rationale and objectives: To explore the effectiveness of the video medium and YouTube platform in conveying residency program and community information to prospective applicants during the 2020-2021 virtual residency interview cycle. To garner insights on the virtual-only residency interview experience and our video-centered approach through survey data collected from interviewing candidates for potential implementation in future application cycles.

Materials and methods: 13 custom content videos were produced highlighting our radiology residency program and uploaded onto a newly created YouTube channel and the institutional website during the late summer through fall of the 2020-2021 residency interview cycle. Feedback on the videos was generated using YouTube analytics and an anonymous 10-question survey sent to interviewing candidates.

Results: As of September 29, 2021, the date when residency programs could begin reviewing ERAS applications for the 2021-2022 cycle, the videos amassed 4487 views with over 149 hours' worth of material viewed. 57 of 114 interviewed candidates responded to the survey. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with 84% of respondents agreeing that the videos positively influenced their decision to apply to our program, 77% of respondents judging our video-based format to be overall more effective in delivering residency program information than text-based media (website, email etc.), and 86% feeling adequately informed about the program through the virtual interview process and provided electronic resources. 79% of respondents felt our videos to be more informative than the resources from other radiology programs encountered during the interviewing cycle. Finally, a majority 72% of respondents are open to virtual interviewing in the future.

Conclusions: Our program's video-centered approach was one of many creative media solutions employed by residency programs across the nation to help make virtual interviewing an adequate replacement to the traditional in-person interviewing experience. While further investigation is needed to determine which methods communicate residency program information best in the virtual setting, our initial experience and data show the video-centered approach to be overwhelmingly positive with applicants and at a minimum, we've established a baseline process and aesthetic for others to improve upon.