Table 2.

Ranking of Factors in Determining Applicants’ Rank Order List (0 = Not Important; 10 = Most Important)

Factors as Perceived by Candidates	Mean Score ± SD
Resident–faculty relationship (i.e., perceived as positive or negative)	8.7±1.5
Clinical and surgical volume (i.e., busy clinic, perform large number of procedures)	8.5±1.3
Diversity of training (i.e., breadth of pathology, patient diversity)	8.5±1.5
Interview experience with faculty (i.e., perceived as positive or negative)	8.3±1.5
House staff quality of life (i.e., favorable on-call schedule, balance between work and personal life)	8.1±1.8
Desirable geography and climate of training location	7.9±1.9
Prestige of program (i.e., highly ranked nationally)	7.8±1.8
Presence of a resident-run clinic (i.e., residents have their own patients)	7.5±2.0
Clinic appearance and features (i.e., new and well-equipped lanes, latest technology)	7.4±1.7
Overall average response	7.2±2.4
Exposure to residents during interview day	7.0±2.3
Proximity of training location to family support	7.0±2.5
Caring for underserved population	6.8±2.1
Size of residency program (i.e., number of faculty and residents)	6.8±2.2
Opportunities for resident research (i.e., residents frequently publish)	6.7±2.3
Cost of living associated with training location	5.7±2.7
Cultural and ethnic diversity of training location	5.6±2.7
Diversity of house staff and faculty (i.e., by gender or ethnicity)	4.6±2.8

SD = standard deviation.