1. Steps to Successful Recruitment
Robbin Bonanno
Yale School of Medicine
Successful recruitment is dependent upon several variables. Do you have a good geriatrics program – not your training program – but you’re division. Is your faculty and staff dedicated to educating future leaders in geriatric medicine. Is there a sense of community within your group or is there cracks in the infrastructure….

2. 4 Components of Successful Recruitment
Promotion (Program Visibility)
Application Process
Interview Season
The After
You can’t talk about recruitment without touching on each of its 4 components. I know you want to hear about the interview process, but without promoting your program somehow, who’s going to apply – and if there are no applications – there goes interviewing and forget about ranking.
Know how to handle yourself in the after….

3. Promotion Website Social Media Account AGS Community Board
Fellowship Fairs
Everyone has a website – is yours up-to-date. Do you list your fellows, graduate fellows, downloadable brochure. Are there pictures.
Twitter or facebook when fellows graduate, present at AGS – welcoming the new class on July 1st?
AGSCB can come in handy if you don’t completely fill
Fellowship Fairs- there is one on Friday with a resident breakfast. A few brochures, some free swag from wherever your program is and a lot of enthusiasm – and voilà – your program is out there and you are making contacts.

4. eRAS Opens – Application Process
Good to review the apps yourself.
Meet eligibility requirements
Any red flags in the LORs
Put together an overview/summary table
Familarise yourself to the candidates, You can make a notation for PD. Summary is a great tool for reference not only for program staff but faculty interviewers.

5. Invitation Initial Invitation Confirmation of Date Week prior
Warm and inviting
Confirmation of Date
Area hotel, parking
Week prior
Materials and details
The invite should be short yet warm and friendly. I used to word it more enthusiastically but it gave candidates the impression we were desperate. If you make hotel arrangements for your candidates, put this in the invitation also. Personally I do not make their reservations since Yale doesn’t cover travel for fellows therefore making reservations become a hassle, We do provide parking vouchers for the day and four area hotels (within walking distance) of reduced rates for resident and fellow interview season. Forward flyers so they can make their own arrangements.

6. The Interview Day Overview Breakfast Interview in one area
This is where you sell your program. Review materials
Interview in one area
Private Lunch with current fellows
Tour of facility – PM
Wrap Up
Any last question
Evaluation of the day
Though it looks like the day is jammed packed with activities, there will be breaks especially if you have more than one candidate being interviewed. If you have five candidates and four interviewers, there will be a break in the candidates schedule from time to time. Having a place for them to congregate between interviews and for you to get to know them.
The fellows lunch is the most remarked on activity of the day. We receive a lot of feedback on how much they appreciated every fellow attending. I say private as this is the time they get to ask the questions they don’t want to as faculty.

7. Faculty Participation
But I don’t want to!!
Strength of your program
Shows your faculty’s dedication to teaching the next generation
And if they complain….
Again…I just want to touch on your faculty’s participation. The more your faculty participates in the interview day, the better.
Any type of participation is desired. If a particular faculty isn’t available to interview would they give up their office for the day?, five minute meet the candidates as a group just to say Hi, if touring a certain clinical site can they take two minutes to show them around.

8. Couple of things & some THE AFTER
Diversity: Does your institution The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); do they promote themselves as an equal opportunity employer?
Post Interview Eval
Mailing it out post interview – waste of time
Contact from candidates after interview
Everyone wants to know how to attract a more diverse panel of candidates. At Yale, our GME office works with the DEI with events to attract more diversity within its programs. Dinners, wellness activities, etc. You’ll get diversity in your candidates if your institution promotes a diverse atmosphere.
Sending out a post-evaluation is a waste of time. Its not Anonymous and they’ll believe if they say something critical it would hurt their chances of being
When the match began and big changes came to the interview process, we asked around about responding to a candidates . We spoke with our DIO who said its not a good idea.

9. Food for thought Make sure your program has visibility
Websites and materials are up-to-date
Take an active part in the interview day (you are the program’s ambassador)
Faculty participation is Key
Current fellows should be actively involved
Ask for an evaluation of the process during the wrap up session
Keep contact post-interview/pre-match to a minimum

10. Thank you for listening!
Questions/Comments?
Thank you for listening!