key: cord-0901975-4ogm3kv6
authors: Rosenberg, Hans; Nath, Avik; Leppard, Jennifer; Syed, Shahbaz
title: New challenges and mitigation strategies for resident selection during the coronavirus disease pandemic
date: 2020-07-22
journal: CJEM
DOI: 10.1017/cem.2020.454
sha: 7ce9d3046be6b0eda5169c205f5a6a3cd7b09e2a
doc_id: 901975
cord_uid: 4ogm3kv6

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-Inability to experience environment at the residency training location (hospital and city)

-Inability to have face-to-face time with program directors, residents, and faculty from the program of interest When selecting EM programs, prospective trainees surveyed place great value in their personal experience with residents and faculty in program selection. 2 In another resident candidate survey, subjective considerations, such as happy residents, program personality, and faculty enthusiasm, were the top factors in selecting their EM residency program. 3 With the limitations to visiting electives, these challenges will need to be tackled in a creative manner. Our programs are looking to virtual platforms as a way to mitigate these challenges in the following manner:

Inability to experience environment at the residency training location The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disruption to the classic postgraduate trainee selection process.

Mitigation strategies described previously will allow potential applicants to experience some of the features that make programs unique and often lead to their choice of program ( Figure 1) . Furthermore, these strategies can be used in the future in conjunction with more classic face-to-face encounters and electives to ensure the best program fit for prospective residency candidates.

Potential implications of COVID-19 for the 2020-2021 residency application cycle

Figure 1. Challenges and mitigation strategies for resident selection during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Factors that influence medical student selection of an emergency medicine residency program: implications for training programs

Factors applicants value when selecting an emergency medicine residency

Virtual interviews in the era of COVID-19: a primer for applicants

Resident selection during the COVID-19 pandemic

Competing interests: None declared.