Would you Skype an interview?

[EMmotherhen]

Applicants are bemoaning the financial hit of interview season and, frankly, in this economy it's rather expensive for the schools, too. So we're considering switching to Skype interviews next year and using the saved money for other aspects of the residency program.

Pros: you save a ton of money on airfare, hotels, cabs, rental cars, etc. We save money on dinners/breakfasts/lunches, and aren't scrambling to keep the ED staffed while having enough faculty to interview. You can interview with us via Skype while sitting in the airport waiting on the flight to your next interview, thus killing two birds with one stone. You can interview with us long after you've run out of money. You don't need to worry about winter storms closing airports.

Cons: no direct face-to-face interaction. Not getting to visit the city to see if you like it here. Would need drastic webpage overhaul to provide the in-depth info lost by not touring. What other cons can you think of?

So questions: 1) would you actually consider applying to a school that offered Skype interviews? Is losing the chance to see the program in person a deal breaker? and 2) what info would you want to see on the webpage if you were unable to come to the school?

Thanks for any replies - we WILL take your answers to heart before making a final decision. Good luck to everyone on the interview trail.

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[snoopy85k]

I found that the dinner was actually the most important part of the interview process for me. I found out how well I fit with the residents and a lot about the program. That aspect cannot be replicated on Skype. I do agree that its an expensive process and as I have been going through it this season, I have been thinking of alternatives (like regional interview conferences), but I cannot think of anything that could really duplicate the feel of the current interview process.

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Noble idea, but I see nothing but faults with it. My first concern would be "what is this program hiding since they don't want me to visit.". Also, I think you can only get a good opinion of "fit" by visiting and personal interaction.... Even just that is questionable to be enough.

I think the Skype thing would be fine for non competitive specialties in non competitive places.... and then expect someone who is non competitive and looking for 'anything'...

I'm anxious to see what others have to say about this...

 

[dotcb]

I think it'd be fine if you offer applicants the choice of skype vs. standard interview. I think the vast majority would still choose in-person, so much as to possibly make the skype option unnecessary. I went to 14 interviews and took out a loan to do it. I like the idea.

 

[b-real]

I think it'd be fine if you offer applicants the choice of skype vs. standard interview. I think the vast majority would still choose in-person, so much as to possibly make the skype option unnecessary. I went to 14 interviews and took out a loan to do it. I like the idea.

I agree. If you give applicants - who are extremely neurotic - the option of skype vs. in-person, they would virtually all chose in-person. Can't let someone else get brownie points for making the effort of a personal visit.

 

[Cynic]

I think if you give the option and do not count against applicants who cannot make it in person, then it would be acceptable. Of course, it wouldn't really help you save money if you still had to do some in-person interviews, but some savings might be realized. Then, if an applicant liked what they saw/heard on Skype they could always arrange for a second look to go out with the residents and see the town then if they didn't get a good feel for the program on Skype (which I suspect they may not). You can always trial it for a year and see what the applicants/interviewers/residents think.

On the other hand, from an admissions perspective, I would think that you would end up interviewing a higher percentage of applicants who are serious about the program if they are investing the time and money to get to your location. Likewise, I have always been really impressed with the programs that are spending money to take me out to dinner and/or cover hotel, as it speaks to their willingness to invest in their future residents.

If I was a current resident, I would much rather have interns that I have vetted, love to hang out with or at least get along with, and that I can trust for the next couple years rather than get an iPad, a bigger educational stipend, better facilities, or more hospital food. I think the people you work with far outweighs almost anything you can buy.

 

[Flopotomist]

There is no way I would skype something this important. So much of the interview experience is the "feel" you get from the day... Are these residents I want to work with? Are these facilities somewhere I would get the training I want? Is this city somewhere I want to live? Skype is not going to answer that.

From the program's perspective, every applicant in the country can just add a quick skype interview at your program with no added investment of time/money hence your application numbers will sky rocket with people looking to add you to the bottom of their lists as a "back up." This would come at a huge increase in the amount of applications you have to weed through.

Overall - I would say it is a bad idea, and there is a reason nobody else is doing it.

 

[hothause]

I would be willing to do a Skype interview, but I agree with Cynic in that you may get more people who are using your program as back-up number 7 who would have otherwise cancelled given the cost and commitment of visiting in person. For me, someone who really likes to have that "this is it" gut feeling when making big decisions (college, med school, etc), I would be less likely to rank a program I'd never visited in the top five.

 

[DeadCactus]

I don't think it would work well unless it became the standard and involved revamping the match process. I can imagine a system where you apply, interview over Skype, and then match to N number of programs where N is something like 3 or 5 programs. You then go interview/tour at only those programs and then there is either a second match or the final process is just handled by the applicants and programs.

Programs could offer fewer interview days and students can save the money on travelling to programs that don't want them. I don't know if this would work out better than what we have, but I think we can all agree that having to travel to 10+ interviews is kind of ridiculous...

 

[Aesculapius]

I would not consider a program that offers Skype interviews. If they don't even have the money to run an interview season, how are they going to provide an excellent clinical education? Not to mention that a "tour" online with pictures is by no means equivalent to actually seeing the place. You also, as the above posters have already mentioned, would not get the chance to meet the residents. If applicants are concerned about the cost of going to interviews (which, let's be honest, is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of undergraduate and medical school tuition), they should consider applying more selectively or regionally.

 

[EMmotherhen]

Really appreciating the feedback - you're saying some things we had already thought of but alot we hadn't. Please keep the comments coming - I'm showing these to my faculty!

 

[EMmotherhen]

I would not consider a program that offers Skype interviews. If they don't even have the money to run an interview season, how are they going to provide an excellent clinical education? Not to mention that a "tour" online with pictures is by no means equivalent to actually seeing the place. You also, as the above posters have already mentioned, would not get the chance to meet the residents. If applicants are concerned about the cost of going to interviews (which, let's be honest, is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of undergraduate and medical school tuition), they should consider applying more selectively or regionally.

In our case it's not a matter of being unable to afford interview season but any money we saved on that aspect could be applied to increasing the residents' CME funds (which is something almost every hospital budget is putting the pinch on). You bring up a good point, however, as to what type of appearance our program would be putting out. Thank you.

 

[Xerxes1729]

I think it's a great idea. I found the whole interview process, for medical school and residency, to be pretty stupid. All but the most truly dysfunctional people and programs can hold it together and put on a nice face for a few hours. It's good to be able to talk to people and ask some questions, so Skype does the trick. But going on a tour? Really? Hospitals all look the same. The dinners are a crapshoot. You're only going to get a small portion of the residents to come, and you're not going to talk that much with most of them, so you're not really getting a sense for whether you "fit" with everyone, but whether you "fit" with a couple randomly chosen people. I'm sure residents have noticed that some people go to nearly every dinner, and some people never do.

That said, if you do offer internet interviews, even if you say it won't affect the rankings, and even if that's true, no medical student will believe it and they'll all want to interview in person.

Offering online interviews says to me that you recognize how ridiculous and expensive this process has become and that you're trying to make things a little better for applicants.

 

[hothause]

I'd also be up for less programs footing the bill for an expensive preinterview dinner with drinks and a catered lunch and having more programs cover hotel costs/offer truly reduced hotel costs instead of just lower rates that are actually higher than priceline, etc. As long as the interviews aren't in the afternoon, the day is pretty much over by lunch anyway and often times I've been left with the "I have no more questions, please quit asking me" feeling at that point when it's time for lunch with the residents. I'd rather just be able to leave around noon or 1pm and then also have the advantage of reduced flight prices instead of getting premium fares because most evening weekday travelers are business oriented.

While the interview costs are a drop in the bucket compared to our tuition, not having them built into the educational budget (since the federal government doesn't consider interviewing for residency an essential educational expense....) and having to max out my credit card has not been fun from a financial responsibility standpoint.

 

[snoopy85k]

I agree with the free hotels or greatly reduced prices. And interview season can be done on the cheap. I drove to all 14 of my interviews this season, putting 5600 miles on my car driving around the Midwest. I stayed at my parents for 2 interviews, with residents for 2 interviews, with a friend for 1, did 1 on an away rotation, had 2 places cover the hotel and 1 give a significantly reduced rate at a good place, which meant that I stayed in 5 hotels entirely on my own dime. My travel and hotels cost me about $1100. Total cost on the season including application, buying 2 suits and other expenses (dry cleaning, oil changes, etc) took me to about $2200. When compared with $10k for travel/hotel, that isn't too bad.

With that said, I did eliminate interview opportunities based on distance and never drove more than 500 miles for a program. There were 3 programs I dropped that I was interested in because I did not feel they justified the expense of travel when I had regional opportunities I was already interested in. I also tried pairing interviews up regionally, which I know some programs try to do. This resulted in a string of 3 interviews back to back and another string of 4. While Skype may help with this issue, I for one do not feel that it is necessary; however, I think it would be a nice option to cut expenses on both ends for those that have to fly or travel long distances.

 

[docB]

Applicants are bemoaning the financial hit of interview season and, frankly, in this economy it's rather expensive for the schools, too. So we're considering switching to Skype interviews next year and using the saved money for other aspects of the residency program.

I sounds like a cool idea but I don't think it's ready for prime time because of the reasons others have mentioned. Aside from those drawbacks I think you'd always be fighting the perception on both ends that a Skyped interview represents a lesser degree of commitment. That would be an issue for both students and programs.

I think it's a great idea. I found the whole interview process, for medical school and residency, to be pretty stupid. All but the most truly dysfunctional people and programs can hold it together and put on a nice face for a few hours.

This is a really good point and it made me think of a way the Skype angle might work. Often the hardest part of the whole Interview Day Pageantry is arranging for key faculty, the PD, the chair, etc. to be off and available. Imagine if those interviews could be Skyped. That could make scheduling much easier. The applicants would then be allowed to tour when they are able. They would not just show up unannounced but they could call the coordinator and set up a tour for day after tomorrow or whatever. Then you avoid the whole "nice face for a few hours" problem. The tours would likely be more valuable if they were less formal.

It doesn't eliminate travel because I'd still want to see where'd I'd be going but it would reduce the rigidity of the formal interview day and make it easier on everyone.

 

[boone95]

I like that you're thinking out of the box, and acknowledging how much money we spend on travel, applications, etc.
But for me, I don't think I could ever rank a program that I've never visited. I need to meet the people, see the interactions, and have casual conversation with the residents (both the night before and the day of the interview).

 

[Deuce Doc]

This topic piqued my interest since I've spent a lot of time on Skype while deployed.


I'd imagine that Skype would prove extremely tempting for the administration—the best couple of interviewers could crank out a bunch and with some sort of video capture setup, all the folks who get to vote could watch and decide whose best at their leisure.


From the perspective of the applicant though (which I am this year), I must agree that there is no way to get the same sort of feel for the program without a face-to-face interaction with the masses, and maybe more importantly, seeing how they interface with each other. I wouldn't pick the Skype option unless there was no other choice. On the other hand, if you guys are an awesome program, that I already know I am interested in, and you only offer this option—than of course I'd play ball.



Also, you would have to be nuts to pick Skype over spending the money if you were actually serious about the program. The applicant can be assured that he WILL NOT come across as well due to the technical limitations of Skype--delay, cache issues, feedback, etc. Not all Skype calls are created equal. Some of the calls that I have made to my wife have been so bad, that she wouldn't have hired me to do the dishes (but maybe it's me). It's probably a good screening tool for this reason though. Offer them the Skype interview, if they say "yes" don't take them.


There is also some hard to categorize fatigue that goes with this kind of conversation, whether due to shouting at the microphone, straining to hear, interpreting words that don't quite match lip movements, or whatever. It's just easier to converse in person. This might change your impression of applicants as well.


On its surface, it sounds intriguing, but I think the only way it's workable is if all programs do it, and then you still get some kind of opportunity for a real look at the program, which may not save anything.

 

[Birdstrike]

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[Pigg-O-Stat]

I think it probably won't work. If I'm really interested in a program, I want to get as much face time as possible. I would rotate at my top programs, and interview in person at any place I am actually considering. I would only skype an interview if I knew it was going to end up at the bottom of my rank list. I interviewed 12 spots last year, and every place I visited I tried to get a feel for the city, hang out with the residents, check out the hospital, the weather, etc. The decision is just too important.

 

[EM2BE]

I believe for those really strapped for cash, they would be grateful for this option. If anything, it would allow them to visit the hospital for a tour / re-evaluation of the program while they are in the area for other locations. It would be much easier and more economical for the applicant to visit 2-3 hospitals all with one flight. It would probably be difficult to do as the first program to offer it, but someone has to be first. I think it would work best as an option for people. It would also work in their favor if they have an interview at another location on the same day(s) you have available for your interviews. If they are interested in the program, I would only imagine they would find their way to it to see it in person. However, if they were really strapped for cash, they may not be able to make it for a final decision and it should not be held against them if they cannot make it back. Many applicants will send thank you cards and express interest in the program in those cards.

I'm wondering how you would set up the interviews on skype though. Would you set up different times for whenever the faculty are available? Would you still include resident interaction?

Overall: Idea is possible to carry out, just may take some time / work for full acceptance

 

[NERDY]

What about using skype (perhaps as a trial) for your home-school 4th year students since they already know the faculty/staff/hospital system? Also, for visiting students who already did their away @ your place but didn't interview @ that time. Those students don't need a tour, lunch, etc since they should be familiar with everything.

 

[DocZ]

I think it's a great idea. I found the whole interview process, for medical school and residency, to be pretty stupid. All but the most truly dysfunctional people and programs can hold it together and put on a nice face for a few hours.

I really don't agree with this at all. Although I do think the interview process is cumbersome it is important. You would be very surprised how many applicants "can't put on a nice face for a few hours". It may come as no surprise that there are many incredible applicants on paper that have major issues with social interaction. There are so many different types of programs with different philosophies and styles of both education and practice. Not every personality fits every program. Many faculty members can pick out the applicants that won't work at their shop pretty quickly but I don't think you can do that without a face to face. I do think that the pre-interview dinner/bar visit is a total waste of time and money.

From the applicants perspective, why would you ever commit to something as important as a residency position without meeting the people and visiting the facilities. There are tons of applicants that apply all over the country with minimal experience in the city they are applying. Residency is not easy, why would you move to a new place for training for 3-4yrs without truly knowing what you are getting into. Although a half a day visit may not completely tell you what you're getting into, it certainly gives some you some insight. Where you train often has a significant impact in where you go and what you do after graduation.

It seem like a cost saving measure that isn't worth the risk for either the program or applicant.

 

[StevieStud]

Seems kind of cheap or "McDonald's like" to conduct an interview by telephone or Skype.

That said, it seems that the technology would be great as a follow up session, in lieu of a 2nd visit etc.

Or maybe as some sort of live video introduction. I am Doc SuperStar from Big Time Hospital just giving you a call to introduce myself and let you know I am really looking forward to my 17.5 minute interview with you in 28 days..... are there questions you would like me to research in advance of our formal meeting?

 

[deleted65604]

I'm glad I saw the cities themselves interviewing. If I were happy at work, but my family were miserable at home, it would really make a difference. Said in another way, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

I remember showing up at one particular interview, imagining, "This is totally going to be a cool place." It wasn't. As I drove around the crappy city, I knew that it was an absolute crap-heap of a place. I made the conscious decision to wait it out one more year if it came to not matching in ER versus moving my family there.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Seems kind of cheap or "McDonald's like" to conduct an interview by telephone or Skype.

That said, it seems that the technology would be great as a follow up session, in lieu of a 2nd visit etc.

Or maybe as some sort of live video introduction. I am Doc SuperStar from Big Time Hospital just giving you a call to introduce myself and let you know I am really looking forward to my 17.5 minute interview with you in 28 days..... are there questions you would like me to research in advance of our formal meeting?

That sounds just awful to me.

 

[EMmotherhen]

I believe for those really strapped for cash, they would be grateful for this option. If anything, it would allow them to visit the hospital for a tour / re-evaluation of the program while they are in the area for other locations. It would be much easier and more economical for the applicant to visit 2-3 hospitals all with one flight. It would probably be difficult to do as the first program to offer it, but someone has to be first. I think it would work best as an option for people. It would also work in their favor if they have an interview at another location on the same day(s) you have available for your interviews. If they are interested in the program, I would only imagine they would find their way to it to see it in person. However, if they were really strapped for cash, they may not be able to make it for a final decision and it should not be held against them if they cannot make it back. Many applicants will send thank you cards and express interest in the program in those cards.

I'm wondering how you would set up the interviews on skype though. Would you set up different times for whenever the faculty are available? Would you still include resident interaction?

Overall: Idea is possible to carry out, just may take some time / work for full acceptance

We were thinking along the lines of a panel discussion where there would be a sampling of both faculty and residents (probably 6-7 in total). Everyone in one room facing the webcam. I wonder how intimidating that would feel since we currently interview one-on-one. Also, to switch to Skype we would most likely do away with the usual assigned interview day and set up a variety of schedules that would best suit the applicants' needs (such as night interviews you could conduct from a hotel or airport lobby). Thoughts?

 

[EMmotherhen]

And let me answer one recurring fear: we would NOT rank based on who showed up and who chose to Skype. If we offer Skype we will consider that as valid as an in-person interview.

A few years ago we had an applicant cancel after he was involved in a serious car accident. He asked if he could interview via webcam from his apartment. At that time we declined but that decision has haunted us (well, me). What would it have hurt to do that? He may have been just what we were looking for and it wasn't his fault he couldn't come in person.

Do you really think someone choosing Skype isn't serious about considering our program? If that's true then we need to drop this idea. But then again, who takes the first step of moving interview season into a new direction?

I thank of all of you for your opinions and you've started alot of discussion among my program. Please continue to add your thoughts!!

 

[gman33]

I'd do it for a place that wasn't really one of my top choices to begin with.
No program wants to think it's a backup plan, but many are in reality.

Not that the program is bad.
My backup may be someone else's top choice.

It would make the process a little easier.

 

[turkeyjerky]

We were thinking along the lines of a panel discussion where there would be a sampling of both faculty and residents (probably 6-7 in total). Everyone in one room facing the webcam. I wonder how intimidating that would feel since we currently interview one-on-one. Also, to switch to Skype we would most likely do away with the usual assigned interview day and set up a variety of schedules that would best suit the applicants' needs (such as night interviews you could conduct from a hotel or airport lobby). Thoughts?

That would feel extremely intimidating. Honestly, this whole skype plan would really turn me off from your residency--I can't elucidate exactly why, but it would just give me the willies and make me run in the other direction (and rank you accordingly very low).

And let me answer one recurring fear: we would NOT rank based on who showed up and who chose to Skype. If we offer Skype we will consider that as valid as an in-person interview.

The issue is that applicants will suspect that choosing a skype interview will signal that they're not as interested in the program as those who choose the live interview. That's probably true--if I was really interested in the program, I would choose to travel and see it in person.

 

[gutonc]

And let me answer one recurring fear: we would NOT rank based on who showed up and who chose to Skype. If we offer Skype we will consider that as valid as an in-person interview.

Yes you would. Not on purpose of course, and I totally believe you on that point.

But no matter your intention, you're always going to get a better impression of the applicant that shows up than the dude who "phones it in."

 

[docB]

Yes you would. Not on purpose of course, and I totally believe you on that point.

But no matter your intention, you're always going to get a better impression of the applicant that shows up than the dude who "phones it in."

I dunno. What if they got hair, makeup and wardrobe help and built a TV quality set to Skype from? Maybe we'll get to the point where we quit using CVs and we all have demo disks we hand out like every garage band in existence.

 

[Groove]

Deal breaker. You can't break 100 years of tradition. I can't think of any applicant that would feel confident enough to rank the program high from nothing more than a Skype or series of Skype interviews.

I'm a previous IT guy. Videoconferencing is a great and often underutilized technology but as Rebuilder said... fails on many different levels for this type of situation. UNLESS you're dealing with a very naive or stupid student, neither of which I'd think you'd want matching in the first place.

 

[ajank]

I would definitely consider doing a Skype interview, but I would for sure visit the program. I think that it would make the interview process much easier to schedule. The programs could allow you to visit on any of the available dates instead of limiting the number of applicants on a certain date to the amount that could be interviewed that day. Your visit could be limited to a late afternoon tour/program overview then easily transition to a dinner with the residents. This would allow you to travel the day of the tour/program overview then leave the next morning to the next location.

With the flexibility to change your visit dates and more easily travel from location to location (with more flights available in the AM), you could probably manage to visit 4 programs within a week.

I think that this would be hard to pull off because most people would be paranoid that people doing in person interviews would have an advantage if 2 options were available. I think you would have to go all in and only offer the Skype option. You might also have better luck if there was another program in the region who was partnering with you in the switch.

 

[EMmotherhen]

Revisiting this issue. We're now debating offering Skype interviews in October only with those applicants being given the chance to visit our campus at any point before Feb 1 as a f/u to see the hospital, drive around the city, meet the residents and faculty.

In-person only interviews would be the usual Nov-Jan.

Once again - is this something you would consider?

And thank you, all of you, who have taken the time to offer your opinions.

 

[winkleweizen]

Revisiting this issue. We're now debating offering Skype interviews in October only with those applicants being given the chance to visit our campus at any point before Feb 1 as a f/u to see the hospital, drive around the city, meet the residents and faculty.

In-person only interviews would be the usual Nov-Jan.

Once again - is this something you would consider?

And thank you, all of you, who have taken the time to offer your opinions.

I for sure would if given the option to visit whenever I felt like it. That way if you did have an interview with another program around then you wouldnt have to coordinate interviews and could just stop by

 

[dally1025]

Revisiting this issue. We're now debating offering Skype interviews in October only with those applicants being given the chance to visit our campus at any point before Feb 1 as a f/u to see the hospital, drive around the city, meet the residents and faculty.

In-person only interviews would be the usual Nov-Jan.

Once again - is this something you would consider?

And thank you, all of you, who have taken the time to offer your opinions.

I don't think I would rank a program without having visited. However, as long as I visited at some point it wouldn't matter too much if the interview was via skype. I think this is a GREAT idea to offer to folks that rotated at your program! If you've already spent a month working somewhere I don't think there's much more that can be gained by an on-site interview and it saves money/time.

 

[b-real]

Revisiting this issue. We're now debating offering Skype interviews in October only with those applicants being given the chance to visit our campus at any point before Feb 1 as a f/u to see the hospital, drive around the city, meet the residents and faculty.

In-person only interviews would be the usual Nov-Jan.

Once again - is this something you would consider?

And thank you, all of you, who have taken the time to offer your opinions.

Would the visit include dedicated time with a variety of residents? The night-before dinner and the interview day itself are great opportunities to talk with future co-residents and gauge "fit" for a particular program. If what is being offered is merely a tour and some face time with faculty, I would find that lacking.

 

[dhbighit]

I think there could certainly be some value in this. However, I think this would be most valuable for students who had done an away rotation at the institution previously. I think if I were offered this option somewhere I had already been, I would do it in a heartbeat. However, I doubt I would do it if I were truly interested in the program but had not been for an away, for reasons mentioned above (how you fit in with residents, city, program "feel").

In short- I think there is certainly utility for this and would be a great alternative for interviews later in the season OR perhaps to feel a program out for a potential "second look" in person.

 

[Adolpho]

So the interview process is now being handled in the digitalworld as well, impressive but how well is that going to go over. I don’t think thereis anything better than a physical in person face to face interview, to make alasting impression and with skype you are face to face but it doesn’t alwayswork as one wished it did. You eitherget cut off, the screen freezes, etc. Willthis be for the initial interview for screening purposes or will the 2ndand 3rd interview and final interview be carried out via skype aswell? I would hope that you plan to actuallymeet the candidate at some point.

 

[shoal]

I think the solution is to limit the number of interview offers a program can give out based on the number of spots they have. All the EM spots are filling, if all reduce to 5 interviews per spot, this would reduce costs for both students and programs. But we all want choice and this leads to higher costs, duration of interview and I felt like confusion regarding quality of programs when all programs seemed to be good.