When choosing residency programs, medical students tend to be swayed by factors including geographic location and work-life balance, according to a Jan. 24 report from the American Medical Association based on a survey of 11,300 residency applicants in 2022.
Five most important factors for U.S. allopathic senior medical students across all specialties:
1. Desired geographic location: 88 percent
2. Perceived goodness of fit: 87 percent
3. Reputation of program: 82 percent
4. Work-life balance: 74 percent
5. Quality of residents in the program: 73 percent
Five most important factors for U.S. osteopathic senior medical students:
1. Perceived goodness of fit: 86 percent
2. Desired geographic location: 84 percent
3. Work-life balance: 78 percent
4. Quality of residents in the program: 75 percent
5. Quality of program director: 69 percent