Criteria used by medical students to rank orthopedic surgery residency programs.

Residency positions orthopedic surgery continue to be highly sought after. There is no published report of the criteria that candidates use to evaluate prospective orthopedic surgery programs. A survey, created to evaluate what these candidates value in a residency program, was sent to all current orthopedic surgery postgraduate year 1 and year 2 residents through their prospective program directors. Responses were analyzed to determine which factors were most and least important in ranking orthopedic surgery residency programs. Early surgical/clinical experience was the most important factor; geography, second most important; program reputation, third most important. Research opportunities were least important; program size, second least important; regional cost of living, third least important. Data from this survey will enable program directors to emphasize their "more desirable" aspects and minimize the "less desirable" in their attempts to attract top candidates. In addition, directors may incorporate these data into their residents' rotation schedule to provide more early surgical experience and a more directed educational program.