United States Ophthalmology Residency Program Directors' Description of the Interview Selection Process

Purpose: To describe the methods ophthalmology residency programs use to determine which applicants receive an interview invitation. Design: Anonymous online survey Method: A validated questionnaire was distributed to all ophthalmology residency program directors through the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology regarding their process to screen residency applications for the 2020 – 2021 application cycle. Question items consisted of a combination of multiple-choice (20), single-answer response (7), Likert scale (2), and free-response (1). Results: The response rate was 40% (46/116). The average number of applications received per program was 486.5 ± 98.1. Most programs (78%) have multiple independent reviewers for each application (median number of reviewers = 3). A single faculty member reviews an average of 83.5 applications. Reviewers in 43.5% of programs utilize a standardized rubric. Following an initial screening, the program director most frequently makes the final decision (55.5%). At least 20% of programs exclude international medical graduates and D.O applicants. Most programs (83%) always grant interviews to students at their home institution. Conclusion: There is wide variability in the interview selection practices among ophthalmology residency programs. Given the large number of applications that residency programs must review, exploring best practices for the process of interview selection may be beneficial for program directors.