Using Structured Interviews with the Utilization of Standardized Questions to Reduce Bias in Internal Medicine Residency Recruitment

The interview in resident selection often is used to assess noncognitive factors; when combined with other data used in the application, it can predict future "success" for residency applicants. It is difficult to determine whether a specific interview format is superior for predicting performance; however, there is growing evidence that using structured interviews reduces bias, increases diversity, and recruits successful residents. In this workshop, presenters will educate participants on the current state of literature and practice regarding the use structured interviews and teach them strategies and techniques implemented by our residency leadership. The first step in standardizing the interview process is determining which core values predict resident success in a particular program. To that end, faculty within the presenters' department met last year prior to recruitment season and came to a consensus on the main qualities to seek in a resident. Faculty decided to assess five domains, communication/interpersonal style, teamwork, critical thinking, organizational skills, and self-awareness, in addition to application review. Questions were developed elicit information about those traits during the interview process as well as a scoring rubric. The scoring of each domain helps define what makes a high-performing versus low-performing answer. Once the standardized questions with scoring system were determined, interviewers reviewed the process. A shift to structured interviews by creating standardized questions may eliminate bias but further research to measure the extent of incorporating this method into residency interviews will be needed in the future.