THE SELECTION OF A RESIDENCY PROGRAM - PROSPECTIVE ANESTHESIOLOGISTS COMPARED TO OTHERS

A study was undertaken to investigate factors important to senior medi cal students, particularly prospective anesthesiology residents, in se lecting a residency program. A previously published questionnaire was used to determine whether previous findings could be replicated. One h undred ninety-seven senior medical students rated the importance of 22 items in their selection of a residency program. Factors were ranked nearly identically as in the previous study. Factors rated as most imp ortant were ''diversity of training experience'' as well as ''house of ficer satisfaction,'' whereas items about treating patients with the a cquired immunodeficiency syndrome were rated as least important. There were gender differences that showed women assigned more importance to having a manageable case load, call schedules, and geographic locatio n. Prospective anesthesiology residents perceived ''prestige'' of the program, and the department as significantly more important than did p rospective nonanesthesiology residents. The replication of results wit h regard to the overall ranking of factors demonstrates the reliabilit y of the results. Resident selection committees need to focus on the i ssue of quality of training, the impression made by the interviewers, and include satisfied residents as part of the interview process.