Factors influencing student selection of family practice residency programs in Texas

This study identified the relative influence of eight major factors on students' selections of family practice residency programs in Texas. All students (127) selected through the National Residency Matching Program in 1987 by 22 residency programs in Texas were surveyed. Based on a 91% response rate, 52 rating scale items were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The resulting eight factors were rank ordered according to program type (eg, medical school based) based on mean scores of items that loaded on each factor. The factor most influential in students' selections of programs was the "quality of training" they perceived they would receive, while the least important factor was "resident compensation and benefits." Students who selected medical school based programs and community based, medical school affiliated programs differed significantly as to the importance they placed on the "academic orientation of the program" and the "attitude toward family physicians" in their program selections.