PREDICTORS OF RESIDENCY PERFORMANCE - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

In a 1990 study we investigated resident applicant characteristics ass ociated with successful matching into otolaryngology.(1) Of the 175 ap plicants studied, 87 matched, for a 49.7% success rate. Successful mat ching was much more likely for applicants with a history of excellent academic achievement in medical school. Of the 88 applicants who did n ot match during the year that was originally studied, 30 matched to ot olaryngology in subsequent years, Of the 58 who never matched in otola ryngology, there is no evidence of board certification for 30. Of the other 28, 12 are board certified in anesthesia; 3 in radiology; 2 each in family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, a nd physical medicine, and rehabilitation; and 1 each in pathology, eme rgency medicine, and dermatology. Of the total of 117 who matched in o tolaryngology, 109 began residency training, and 107 finished otolaryn gology training. Program directors answered questionnaires about 100 o f 107 of these residents, detailing aspects of residency performance. The only correlation found between a highly satisfactory residency per formance and characteristics that could be evaluated at the time of in terviewing for residency positions was with excellent academic perform ance in medical school.