Not when you're a person who's personality says more about you than your paper application. Can't pass the 3am test (are you someone I could tolerate at 3am) virtually IMO
1. The in-person interview doesn't discriminate for someone I wouldn't want to be up at 3am with either IMO. The pre-COVID interview itself is usually in the late morning-afternoon after being spoilt with free food, drinks, a cozy hotel, etc. the night before with no other work/engagements for that day. These are hardly times that try men's souls.
2. I am not sure about all fields but in most fields the interviews are conversational. Most interviewees just need to not stand out, but put forth an upbeat/positive demeanor. Interviews (in person or virtual) can help those who need to stand out, but can hurt others. You may have one small challenge question like why this person said XYZ in your Dean's Letter if the interviewer's trying to nitpick and if that's not available to them, they may ask 1-2 behavioral questions...but that's about it.
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I went through the in-person and virtual residency interview format (n=30+ interviews, equally distributed on two app cycles within 3 years of each other). I even had 3 interviews in common the first time and second time around and matched at one of those places. One of those places (academic IM midtier place) actually had a similar slide deck to the one I had the last time and the "endearing amazing PD" didn't seem as charming the second time around when all his jokes/mannerisms were repeated. Here is what I can say with my experience.
In-Person:
Pros:
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Sometimes a hotel is paid for and you get to bond with some applicants at the hotel/dinner.
-Excuse for time off a rotation in medical school.
-Excuse to visit a new city.
-Happy hour is in person and residents are willing to answer questions about programs while certain that no program coordinators are in close vicinity.
Cons:
-$$$ (ALOT)
-It eats up 2 days.
Virtual:
Pros:
-Ability to go on more interviews and flexibility after. After the interview you literally take off your suit and go to the gym or go back to what you were doing beforehand.
-Faculty are more available for the interview since it's literally at their desk and requires very little coordination.
-Zoom rooms do offer a chance for a lot more time with the residents.
Cons:
-You do not get to see the facilities up close. That said, many interviews offered virtual tours and I think that the facilities they show you during an inperson interview are always their shiniest compared to what you get when you go there.
-You miss happy hour. Residents still gave out plenty of dirt on programs though.
If you think the pros for in-person and cons for virtual outweigh the ability to apply to more programs and save a couple thousand dollars, I guess that's great but I think it's not worth the price. Everyone dresses up to put on a show for interviews but at the end of the day, you pick one place and go there and every place has its pros/cons. We've been doing this for undergrad, medical school, residency, and some do it for fellowship. I think it's getting getting old and we need to fix the system and think COVID gifted us with the necessity to try this and I think most are realizing non-inferior results.
Please do not conflate my point with the notion that applicants during the COVID cycle has an easier time. What applicants have had to deal with this year with cancellation of Step 2 CS, aways, uncertainty was unprecedented. That's it's own separate thing. I obviously think aways need to come back. If they don't, then I am totally on board with
@MedScat 's point above how it doesn't make sense to have these restrictions.
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Speaking with points above, I am still wondering if we are going to learn what one of the posters above meant by "privileged" posters in this thread for discussing virtual vs. in-person interviews? That post has been quoted 3 times in 2 months without an answer while the OP of that post has been posting actively since.
journals.lww.com
