Selection of anesthesiology residents

The large numbers of medical graduates seeking residency training in anesthesiology have created a logistical problem for many programs. This difficulty and the recurrent phenomenon of the misplaced physician have prompted a search for better selection criteria and more efficient evaluation systems. The literature does not provide a concise description of the ideal resident candidate, but it does contain several approaches taken by a few individual teaching centers to improve applicant review procedures. Computer-assisted resident candidate selection (CARCS) is a three-phase system of preinterview screening, interview evaluation, and final ranking. Based on faculty criteria, the entire process uses data management technology that provides automatic calculation of selection parameters, sorting on any data field or combination thereof, and maintenance of a concise information profile for each candidate. CARCS allows equitable consideration of all who apply, with significant cost savings to both program and applicants. This paper reviews traditional methods of selecting anesthesiology residents, describes the CARCS system, and previews the future of resident candidate selection.