I’ve encouraged my trainees to ask what plans they have in place to help trainees develop cohort cohesion with each other remotely. I could not agree more with spending time with current interns. If that time isn’t scheduled/offered, that would be a flag for me.
These days I’d ask about accommodations for telework (equipment, training, etc) and testing, and how seminars and interdisciplinary work have changed (especially in medical settings). Questions about community partnerships, long-term projects, non-evaluative mentorship, funding for presentations/admin leave, where previous interns have been hired/matched are all ways to determine how trainees are supported. If a DEI team isn’t mentioned, I’d ask specifically but recognize it’s probably lip service. I’d ask about plans to return to in-person services (if 100% remote), in-person safety practices in place (including PPE access) currently, and for a description of office space and how exam rooms are booked/shared.
Hopefully there’s a large-group zoom portion w/ breakout rooms where you can see how training committee members interact with each other, with trainees, etc. I strongly empathize with the anxiety of “fit” during remote interviews. Do remember that MANY interns match by phone/zoom every year!
And VHS video dating was a thing for a long time, too. When something works, it works. (And if it’s a poor match because of the distance interview, it’s only ONE year of an entire career. You can do this.)
