Trust Me, I Know Them: Assessing Interpersonal Bias in Surgery Residency Interviews

• DOI: 10.4300/jgme-d-21-00882.1
• Publication Date: 2022-06-13T15:36:34Z
• Authors: Chelsea Towaij; Nada Gawad; Kameela Alibhai; Danielle Doan; Isabelle Raîche
• Keywords: Interview; Personnel selection

Residency selection integrates objective and subjective data sources. Interviews help assess characteristics like insight communication but have the potential for bias. Structured multiple mini-interviews may mitigate some elements of bias; however, a halo effect is described in assessments medical trainees, degree familiarity with applicants remain source bias interviews.To investigate extent interviewer that results from pre-interview knowledge applicant by comparing file review interview scores known versus unknown applicants.File to University Ottawa General Surgery Training Program 2019 2021 were gathered retrospectively. Applicants categorized as "home" if institution, "known" they completed an elective at or "unknown." The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used compare median between groups Spearman's rank-order correlation (rs) determine scores.Over 3-year period, 169 interviewed; 62% unknown, 31% known, 6% home applicants. There statistically significant difference (P=.01) home, Comparison demonstrated higher positive correlations (rs=0.15 vs 0.36 0.55 applicants) increasing familiarity.There increased familiarity. process carry inherent insufficiently mitigated current structure.