Factors affecting residency rank-listing: A Maxdiff survey of graduating Canadian medical students
2011

Factors Influencing Residency Program Rankings by Canadian Medical Students

Sample size: 339 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wang Tao, Wong Benson, Huang Alexander, Khatri Prateek, Ng Carly, Forgie Melissa, Lanphear Joel H, O'Neill Peter J

Primary Institution: University of Toronto

Hypothesis

There will be minimal significant differences between male and female applicant priorities in residency program selection.

Conclusion

Graduating medical students prioritize program characteristics like clinical experience and resident morale, but often choose between their top programs based on social and geographic factors.

Supporting Evidence

  • 339 out of 819 eligible students responded to the survey, resulting in a 41.4% response rate.
  • The variety of clinical experiences and resident morale were the most important factors for students when choosing residency programs.
  • Family medicine applicants rated the variety of clinical experiences more highly than specialty applicants.

Takeaway

Medical students choose residency programs based on what they think is important, like the variety of experiences they can get, but sometimes they pick their top choice based on where their family lives or how nice the city is.

Methodology

An online survey using Max-Diff discrete choice scaling was conducted among graduating medical students from six Ontario medical schools.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the self-reported nature of the survey and the limited geographic scope.

Limitations

The study's sample was limited to Ontario, which may not represent the entire Canadian medical student population, and the response rate was 41.4%.

Participant Demographics

{"age":{"≤24":54,"25-26":127,"≥27":148},"gender":{"male":127,"female":202},"marital_status":{"single":233,"married/common-law":96},"career_choice":{"family_medicine":121,"specialty":207}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

≤0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-6920-11-61

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