17 Factors Influencing Medical Students' Choice of Residency Programs in Pediatrics

Considerable time, effort, and expense are involved in the interview and match process for medical students applying to residency programs in North America. However, little is known about the factors that students consider important when making their decision.

This study was designed to identify and rank factors that influence medical students' ranking of Canadian postgraduate pediatric residency programs. A cross-sectional web-based survey was sent to 91 final year medical students who ranked a pediatric program as their first choice in the February 2003 Canadian residency match. Data on age, gender and status (single or in a committed relationship) were collected. The sixty-three item survey addressed six domains: geographic location, influence of spouse/significant other, interview process, perceived quality of education, furture career plans, and a miscellaneous domain. Responses were based on a 5-point Likert scale (1=not important; 5=very important).

Sixty-six of the ninety-one (72%) final year medical students responded to the survey. Responses were analyzed separately for respondents who were single at the time of the match (n=27) and for respondents in a committed relationship (n=39). Among respondents reported as single, the domains most frequently rated as “very important” were geographic location (n=13, 48%) and perceived quality of education (n=10, 37%). Within the quality of education domain all single respondents rated resident perception of collegiality and support as “very important”. Among respondents in a committed relationship the domain for significant other was most frequently rated “very important” (n=17, 44%), within which, transferability and proximity were the most significant components. Perceived quality of education (n=12, 31% rated “very important”) and geography (n=9, 23% rated as “very important”) received the next highest number of ratings. Twenty-five (93%) single respondents and thirty-three (85%) respondents in a relationship reported that the interview process played a role in their decision making. Of the total group of respondents, forty (61%) stated that they would not be interested in a central interview process. Sixty-two (94%) applicants said they would not want to have a video interview.

Program-specific and personal factors influence medical students' decision making in relation to their choice of pediatric residency program. This information may assist program directors in planning the selection process to accommodate the needs of students.