Breaking outside the box: Use of escape rooms in pharmacy residency interviews

Abstract Background The American Society of Health‐System Pharmacists Pharmacy Resident Match continues to be a competitive process. In recent years, postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) applicants have outpaced available positions. An increase in the number of highly qualified applicants has made identification of standout candidates challenging for residency programs. There is a need to assess nonacademic attributes, such as: leadership, communication, teamwork, problem‐solving, and self‐awareness. These are essential to pharmacy resident success, though are not easily elicited with traditional interview questions. Aims The purpose of this interview escape room activity was to observe and differentiate PGY1 pharmacy residency candidates' nonacademic attributes and clinical knowledge through real‐time, problem‐based engagement. This descriptive report details the program's use of team‐based escape rooms in the pharmacy residency interview process and provides recommendations for developing and implementing an interview escape room activity. Materials and Methods The interview escape room was conducted for a PGY1 program at a large, academic medical center in San Antonio, Texas, during the 2020–2022 residency recruitment seasons. Participants were observed and assessed using the Communication and Teamwork Skills assessment. Results The escape room allowed candidates to showcase their academic and nonacademic skills in various ways. Candidates reported feeling more relaxed than in traditional interviews. Discussion Elements of developing an interview escape room activity include planning and design, theme selection, knowledge and puzzle pairing, content testing, execution, and feedback. Conclusion Interview escape rooms provide insight into the skillset of candidates in the areas of communication, leadership, and teamwork, and create a memorable interview experience for both candidates and residency leadership.