BACKGROUND: The interview visit is an important component of residency and fellowship recruitment that requires a substantial expenditure of time and resources for both training programs and candidates. OBJECTIVE: Survey aimed to study the impact of a preinterview dinner on fellowship program candidates. METHODS: A single center preintervention and postintervention comparison study was conducted using an electronic survey distributed to all Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship candidates over 3 years (2013-2015). The interview visit in 2013 did not include a preinterview dinner (no-dinner group), while the candidates interviewing in 2014 and 2015 were invited to a preinterview dinner with current fellows on the evening before the interview day (dinner group). RESULTS: The survey was distributed to all candidates (N = 70) who interviewed between 2013 and 2015 with a 59% (n = 41) completion rate. Ninety percent of respondents (37 of 41) reported that a preinterview dinner is valuable, primarily to gain more information about the program and to meet current fellows. Among candidates who attended the dinner, 88% (23 of 26) reported the dinner improved their impression of the program. The dinner group was more likely to have a positive view of current fellows in the program as desirable peers compared to candidates in the no-dinner group. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that a preinterview dinner may offer benefits for candidates and training programs and may enhance candidates' perceptions of the fellowship program relative to other programs they are considering.
BACKGROUND: The interview visit is an important component of residency and fellowship recruitment that requires a substantial expenditure of time and resources for both training programs and candidates. OBJECTIVE: Survey aimed to study the impact of a preinterview dinner on fellowship program candidates. METHODS: A single center preintervention and postintervention comparison study was conducted using an electronic survey distributed to all Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship candidates over 3 years (2013-2015). The interview visit in 2013 did not include a preinterview dinner (no-dinner group), while the candidates interviewing in 2014 and 2015 were invited to a preinterview dinner with current fellows on the evening before the interview day (dinner group). RESULTS: The survey was distributed to all candidates (N = 70) who interviewed between 2013 and 2015 with a 59% (n = 41) completion rate. Ninety percent of respondents (37 of 41) reported that a preinterview dinner is valuable, primarily to gain more information about the program and to meet current fellows. Among candidates who attended the dinner, 88% (23 of 26) reported the dinner improved their impression of the program. The dinner group was more likely to have a positive view of current fellows in the program as desirable peers compared to candidates in the no-dinner group. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that a preinterview dinner may offer benefits for candidates and training programs and may enhance candidates' perceptions of the fellowship program relative to other programs they are considering.
Authors: Satyan K Shah; Sanjeev Arora; Betty Skipper; Summers Kalishman; T Craig Timm; Anthony Y Smith Journal: J Urol Date: 2012-02-16 Impact factor: 7.450
Authors: Paul A Harris; Robert Taylor; Robert Thielke; Jonathon Payne; Nathaniel Gonzalez; Jose G Conde Journal: J Biomed Inform Date: 2008-09-30 Impact factor: 6.317
Authors: Alissa Brummond; Susan Sefcik; Andrew J Halvorsen; Saima Chaudhry; Vineet Arora; Mike Adams; Maria Lucarelli; Furman S McDonald; Darcy A Reed Journal: Am J Med Date: 2013-05-17 Impact factor: 4.965
Authors: Laura R Hopson; John C Burkhardt; R Brent Stansfield; Taher Vohra; Danielle Turner-Lawrence; Eve D Losman Journal: J Emerg Med Date: 2014-01-22 Impact factor: 1.484