Judging "Fit" in the Virtual Urology Residency Match: The Applicants' Perspective.

Abstract

Objective: To determine urology applicants' confidence in judging their fit with residency programs during a virtual application and interview cycle.

Methods: Applicants to our residency program from the 2023-2024 AUA match cycle were surveyed. Applicants' confidence in judging fit with residency programs virtually was assessed with Likert scale items grouped by time point (pre-interview, day of interview, post-interview). A standard definition of "fit" was provided to reduce interpretation bias. Free-text responses gathered qualitative data for each survey section and regarding use of technology, and were analyzed with a grounded theory approach to identify emergent themes.

Results: Response rate was 47% (110/233). Applicants completed a median of 2 urology away rotations, applied to 77 programs, and attended 15 virtual interviews. Applicants were confident with determining fit overall and based on the majority of virtual application cycle factors (12/16, 75%), and 63% preferred a virtual application cycle. However, 65% rated in-person away rotations as the most important factor for determining fit. Qualitative themes identified included: in-person assessment, direct interactions with programs, crowdsourced opinions, insider knowledge and personal advice, strengths and challenges of virtual interviews, and difficulty with judging fit virtually, among others.

Conclusions: Urology applicants remain confident in judging their "fit" with programs throughout a virtual application cycle, and most now prefer a virtual experience. However, nearly two thirds still value in-person away rotations above all else for judging fit. Both quantitative and qualitative data are critical to refining application and interview cycles as programs regain the option of in-person activities.