Factors influencing the choice of a residency training program. A student's perspective
C. Carraccio and J. Gladstein
Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Current trends in pediatric residency training have shown that a growing
number of programs have been unable to fill their available positions
through the National Resident Matching Program, Evanston, Ill. This has
caused a competitive climate among programs to attract medical students as
potential residents. The purpose of this study was to learn what factors
are important to all students in determining the rank order of the
residency training programs to which they have applied. Analysis of data
obtained from 600 survey respondents (40%) showed that program curriculum
was most important. Factors, such as night call and benefits, took on much
less importance. Differences did exist between students who applied for
pediatric vs other residencies. The balance between primary and tertiary
care and a university setting are examples of variables that had a greater
influence on aspiring pediatricians. This information has important
implications for training program directors.
