Interview Inequality in the Virtual Age: The GINI Coefficient Revisited

Introduction: Applicants in competitive specialties such as otolaryngology often feel pressured to attend all interviews offered. This can lead to the phenomenon of interview hoarding which was previously studied in 2016. Anecdotally, this phenomenon has increased since the transition to virtual interviews. This study aims to update that study and quantify the inequality in interview distribution across applicants in the most recent interview cycle in which virtual interviews were dominant.

Methods: The Gini coefficient, a commonly used indicator of economic inequality, was calculated using data from the 2022 Charting Outcomes in the Match, and the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) historic specialty data to estimate the distribution of interviews attended. Otolaryngology-specific data was compared to 14 other specialties, comprising a wide range of competitiveness and specialty size. These data were also compared to data from the 2015-2016 application cycle.

Results: In 2022, 20% (130 of 654) of otolaryngology applicants accounted for half (2,031 of 4,062) of all possible interview positions compared to 26% accounting for half in 2016, suggesting greater hoarding of interviews. Each of the 15 specialties demonstrated an increase in its Gini coefficient compared to 2016, suggesting greater hoarding. The Gini coefficient among otolaryngology applicants was 0.55, indicating lower inequality than most other specialties (range 0.55 - 0.85).

Conclusions: There is an unequal distribution of interview invitations, which likely reflects the reality of asymmetry in applicant competitiveness. This inequality has intensified in the most recent residency application cycle, where virtual interviews have lowered financial and temporal demands and simplified interview hoarding.