Residency recruitment: postmatch survey says..

BACKGROUND: Information is limited regarding the most effective methods of recruitment in internal medicine residency programs. To address this deficiency, we conducted a 4-year survey of students who interviewed at our program addressing aspects of the application and interview process to maximize recruitment. METHODS: A 25-item questionnaire was mailed after the match to all students who interviewed but did not match with our program from 1994 to 1997. RESULTS: The response rate varied from 35% in 1994 to 70% in 1997. Variables that showed significant improvement after intervention included brochure mailings, resident greeting, resident luncheon, and perceived resident satisfaction. There was a 50% increase in program applications and the percent of applicants rating our program in their first 3 choices rose from 21% in 1995 to 51% in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: The major factors influencing our applicant's decisions regarding our program included resident involvement and brochure development/mailings. We have focused our efforts on those components to make the greatest impact on increasing the attractiveness of our program for internal medicine training.