Temperament and stress factors predictive of choosing to leave after one year of residency

First-year residents in two affiliated Southern California three-year family practice residency programs were studied prospectively. Those who chose to leave their program following completion of the first year were compared to those who stayed for the second year of residency on the basis of stress and personality factors. Results indicate that those who left their programs were more impulsive at baseline measures and increased their self-discipline during the year, while those who stayed were more self-disciplined at baseline and increased their impulsiveness during the year. Those who left were more socially active at the end of the year than those who stayed, and they experienced a significantly greater increase in acute anxiety by the end of the year.