How Prospective Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Trainees Rank Residency Training Programs.

Background: Since the inception of the National Resident Matching Program, multiple studies have investigated the factors applicants consider important to ranking prospective residency programs. However, only 2 previous studies focused on prospective physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) trainees, and the most recent of these studies was published in 1993. It is unknown whether these previous studies are reflective of current prospective PM&R residents.

Objective: To assess various factors that contribute to prospective PM&R residents' decision making in choosing a residency program and compare these findings with previous studies.

Design: An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire.

Setting: A single PM&R residency program.

Participants: All applicants to a single PM&R residency program.

Methods: All applicants to our PM&R residency program were invited to participate in a 44-item, 5-point Likert-based questionnaire. Applicants were asked to rate the importance of various factors as they related to constructing their residency rank list.

Main Outcome Measurements: Means and standard deviations were calculated for items included in the survey.

Results: A response rate of 26% was obtained, with the responses of 98 applicants (20%) ultimately analyzed. The highest rated factors included "perceived happiness of current residents," "opportunities for hands-on procedure training," "perceived camaraderie among current residents," "perceived camaraderie among faculty and current residents," "perceived quality of current residents," and "perceived work/life balance among current residents." Although male and female respondents demonstrated similar ranking preferences, an apparent difference was detected between how genders rated the importance of "whether the program projects a favorable environment for women" and "whether the program projects a favorable environment for minorities." As compared with previous PM&R applicants, current prospective trainees seem to place greater importance on skill acquisition over didactic teaching.

Conclusion: Prospective PM&R residents highly value subjective perceptions of prospective PM&R training programs and the ability to obtain hands-on procedural experience.

Level Of Evidence: Not applicable.