Table 1.

Interview guide with a sample of the questions that were posed to residents

Interview topic	Question	Possible follow-up question
Existing personal identity	Tell me about yourself	Any family members in the medical field?
	Why did you decide on internal medicine?	Did anyone play a role in your decision?
Previous experiences	What were your favorite and least favorite rotations?	Why?
	What did you like/dislike about your rotation?	Why?
Formal learning	How do you describe your experience in medical school?	What were your favorite/least favorite topics? Why?
	How do you describe your nephrology experience?	Was nephrology hard? Was it taught well?
Career choice	What are the factors that encouraged you in pursuing a specialty?	Which specialty do you plan on pursuing? When did you make that choice? Why?
	What do you find attractive or unattractive about nephrology?	Can you give an example?