Hello,

Our program has hosted several virtual open houses over the years. The most recent open house was held in August, with the goal of reaching prospective candidates before the application season opened. Approximately 20 individuals attended.

I asked our chief residents to lead the event. They presented a PowerPoint overview of our program, highlighting key aspects of the residency experience. We concluded with a question-and-answer session, which I believe was the most valuable part of the event for attendees.

Ronda Hathaway – Samaritan Health Services

Hi,

We host one every year in September on a Sunday evening.  Our PD is on for the first 2 minutes and then it’s all resident driven.  The residents divide up the topics and talk about Resident life, call schedules, perks of the program, diversity perspective, family life, and what’s great about our city.  They’ve made a ppt to go along with their talk.  We ask that applicants submit their questions in the chat throughout the hour and a group of residents are in charge of answering those questions. Finally, at the end if anyone wants to stay on to ask anything they can, but most don’t.  I’ve read on forums like Redditt that students hate virtual open houses, too and think they’re a waste of time.  I do keep the attendance sheet and if we’re trying to narrow down the last few candidates to interview, I’ll check to see if they attended the open house or contacted us to express their interest.  I normally have about 200 register for the open house, but only about 130-150 attend.  They have to register first and I’ll send the link to them the week before.

Helen – Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC