Predicting performance in a child psychiatry program for pediatric residents

As part of an evaluation of a program to train pediatric residents in child psychiatry, measures were made of the following variables predictive of the residents' performance in the program: personality traits, attitude toward psychiatry, willingness to treat psychological problems, preprogram interview performance, length of commitment to pediatrics, and frequency of interaction with teachers in the program. Outcome variables were pediatric residents' course evaluation, frequency of interaction with teachers in the program, and postprogram interview performance. In multiple regression equations the variables predictive of the residents' performance explained up to 72 percent of the variance of the residents' participation in the program, 88 percent of the variance of the postprogram interview, and 61 percent of the variance of the residents' course evaluations.