Ranking Radiology Residency Programs: What Medical Students Think is Important Versus What Residents Say is Important

Background: Matching to a residency is a great success, but it is also a significant change in the lives of many graduating medical students. It is expected that during this time, many priorities may change, especially after participation in a residency program where residents are further exposed to the dynamics of the program. Purpose: There are no current studies that attempt to determine what factors residents prefer after the match. Methods: This study was an anonymous study conducted through an online survey. The survey asked two open-ended questions asking the survey taker to list four factors in order of importance that they considered important in a program, one as an MS4 and one as a resident. Results were compiled, tallied, and categorized to find common themes between the applicants preferences through descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 24 surveys sent out, a total of 15 applicants responded for a response rate of 62.5%. The most common preferences among both MS4s were Work Environment and Location, however, factors like Education and Faculty: Resident Ratio was seen as increasing in importance among residents. Conclusion: While an increase was seen in some factors, the general trend of preferences going from MS4 to a resident was more spread-out in the distribution of what residents considered essential factors. This may be due to the extensive life change residency is or that residents are merely becoming more exposed to what it means to be a Diagnostic Radiologist and are forming their priorities in accordance.