Do Medical Student Mental Stress and Burnout Vary with Virtual Versus In-Person Residency Interviews

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to identify medical student stressors and mitigation methodologies based on interview modality. Materials & methods: A survey was administered to obstetrics and gynecology applicants in in-person (IP) and virtual (VR) National Resident Matching Program cycles. This included demographics, the Mayo Clinic Medical Students Well-Being Index and stressor questions. Results: A total of 137 of 151 surveys were completed (91% response rate). Subjective stress was significant in 76% of IP and 57% of VR applicants (p = 0.07). The objective Mayo Clinic Medical Students Well-Being Index values were higher in the IP (2.47 ± 1.75) compared with the VR group (2.00 ± 1.55; p = 0.10), suggesting lower stress with VR interviews. More IP (53%) compared with VR applicants (44%) were deemed ‘at risk’ (p < 0.01). Conclusion: VR interviews may mitigate select stressors during interviews.

Graphical abstract

Lay abstract

Medical students encounter a significantly increasing amount of stress over the course of their training, with an acute rise noted when interviews occur near the conclusion of their undergraduate medical education. This study aimed to identify causes and potential mitigators of interview stressors based the modality of engagement, virtual or in person. Our survey results suggest that students subjectively felt and objectively encountered significant stress during both modalities; although, this was more pronounced during in-person interviews. Furthermore, the study suggests that virtual interviews may be the modality associated with less overall stress during the residency application cycles.

Keywords:

• applications
• burnout
• interview
• medical student
• NRMP
• obstetrics and gynecology
• residency
• stress
• virtual

Author contributions

D Zoorob: project lead, survey revision, manuscript writing; K Richardson: literature search, manuscript draft; K Gaishauser: literature search and initial manuscript draft; B Hinkel: survey editing and administration; J Van Hook: protocol setup, manuscript editing; H Moussa: survey revision, final manuscript editing; R Maxwell: statistics and manuscript editing.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank MEWS and the Mayo Clinic for providing the Medical Student Wellness Index. We would also like to thank A Cohen for her support.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study was conducted at one site (the University of Toledo) over 2 years and was approved by the ProMedica Health System institutional review board (IRB 19-081).