Applicant Considerations Associated with Selection of an Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Abstract

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess variables that residency applicants ranked as influential in making residency choices. The secondary objective was to determine if residents were satisfied with their residency choices.Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on a cohort database from a stratified, random sampling of 322 emergency medicine (EM) residents collected in 1996-1998 and 2001-2004 from the American Board of Emergency Medicine Longitudinal Study on Emergency Medicine Residents (ABEM LSEMR). Residents rated the importance of 18 items in response to the question, ''How much did each of the following factors influence your choice of residency program location?'' The degree to which residents' programs met prior expectations and the levels of satisfaction with residency programs were also assessed. All analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics.Results: Three-hundred twenty-two residents participated in the survey. Residents considered the following to be the most important variables: institutional reputation, hospital facilities, program director reputation, and spousal influence. Several geographic and gender differences were noted. Ninety percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 86% to 93%) of residents surveyed in their final year answered that the residency program met or exceeded expectations. Seventy-nine percent (95% CI = 76% to 82%) of residents identified themselves as ''highly satisfied'' with their residency choice. Conclusions:The most influential factors in residency choice are institutional and residency director reputation and hospital facilities. Personal issues, such as recreational opportunities and spousal opinion, are also important, but are less influential. Significant geographic differences affecting residency choices exist, as do minor gender differences. A majority of residents were highly satisfied overall with their residency choices.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2009; 16:355-359 ª

Factors That Influence Medical Student Selection of an Emergency Medicine Residency Program: Implications for Training Programs

“…A prior study in internal medicine applicants found diversity to be an important program factor to minority applicants; however, the current study did not. 7 Perhaps our minority applicants view geographic location as a more important indicator of diversity than factors within individual programs? Further exploration of why this important group favors geographic location is warranted.…”

“…That residency training is about education and not financial gain is a recurrent theme in studies involving applicants to EM programs, as well as other specialties. 1,7,8,10,11 Although salary and benefits consistently rank as a relatively unimportant factor, decision-making in training program selection is a multi-factorial process. Consequently, lesser priority factors should not be disregarded.…”

“…Several studies in the EM literature shed further light on this subject, but may be limited by the scope or timing of their surveys. [1][2][3]7 Through its multi-institutional design, including seven geographically and academically diverse EM training programs, this study strives to build on prior works, representing the attitudes of all U.S. allopathic students applying to EM residencies. The total number of applicants invited to participate (n = 1,526) represents 98% of the U.S. allopathic applicants to EM this academic year (n = 1,566).…”

“…[1][2][3]7 This includes the importance of geographic location, resident satisfaction, interview day, and program reputation. For a number of reasons, these studies may not generalize to all U.S. allopathic medical students applying to RRC-accredited EM residencies.…”

Applicants' Self-Reported Priorities in Selecting a Residency Program

“…17 This finding could relate to the limited variability in salaries and benefits among programs nationally, making this a less useful discriminating factor. 19 Also, applicants in this study rated the importance of health care benefits higher than they did salary, which may reflect the high cost of health insurance and a growing number of residency applicants with dependents. 17 The literature is unclear about the effect of sex on residency program choice.…”