In-Person or Virtual? A Former Residency Program Director Weighs In on Interview Formats

Have you ever wondered if there is a benefit to an in-person interview versus a virtual interview for pharmacy residency programs? I was a residency program director for over 10 years and have the experience of interviewing candidates both virtually and in person. During the first few years of my 10-year tenure, all of our residency interviews were in person. Then when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the US in 2020, we had to readjust and conduct virtual interviews for our residency positions.

Now, it is much more common to have both in-person and virtual platforms as an option when interviewing residency candidates. After being actively involved in both processes, I have the expertise to offer insights on the benefits to the different formats.

Benefits of In-Person Interviews

In-person residency interviews provide a bit of intimacy that you do not get with virtual interviews. Just like any other social activity, when you conduct an in-person interview, you are able to bring more of your true self into the space, and the interviewers can do the same. This allows for a different type of personal environment. In-person interviews provide the candidates the opportunity to be on-site, which is very beneficial and gives them the opportunity to see the day-to-day operations in real time. Not only are the candidates able to better understand the department of pharmacy, but they get an overall feel for a hospital’s organization, the other departments present, how pharmacists work with other health care professionals to provide services, and the community that surrounds the hospital and how it engages with its community.

Sometimes, there will be opportunities to meet administration, so candidates can get face-to-face interactions with the CEO and COO of the hospitals. This can turn into a way to learn information on the hospital’s growth and potential next steps for the organization.

Benefits of Virtual Interviews

First and foremost, virtual interviews have allowed residency candidates who live out of state the opportunity to interview with a program without incurring travel expenses. On the other side, virtual interviews give the residency program more candidate options when going through the hiring and matching process.

Unlike in-person interviews, virtual ones can tend to be a little bit more relaxed because the candidate is interviewing from their comfortable space, whereas the pharmacy team can be more flexible with their workload for the day. Virtual interviews also give the candidates and the residency program a better look into the life of the candidate. There have been times during virtual interviews where a candidate’s pet had made a debut. For other candidates, interviewers might infer from their background that the candidate loves plants or lots of color. This is another way where a candidate can bring more of themselves into an interview process in a way that in-person interviews on-site do not allow.

As we embrace technology and the resurgence of face-to-face interactions, there will be a change in perspective of which interview process is better than the other. Regardless of in-person or virtual interviews, resident candidates should be encouraged that there is still an even playing field when it comes to bringing their best selves to the table. No matter the interview’s format, there are always opportunities for resident candidates to make themselves stand out, even if they are not right in front of the resident program’s faculty.