Analysis of selection criteria for medical residents. Differences between primary care and traditional pathway committees.

A self-administered questionnaire was given to faculty members of resident selection committees for traditional and primary care medical residencies at one institution. Results from both committees revealed that applicant performance in medicine clerkships and communication from the applicant's department of medicine faculty, especially the chairman, were key criteria in evaluating the strength of each applicant. Negative personal characteristics were important in determining undesirable resident candidates. Primary care program selectors put more emphasis on the applicant's personal goals, skills, and interests, especially career plans in general internal medicine, than did their traditional program counterparts. Other differences included the tendency of traditional program committee members to value collegial communications and the perceived quality of the applicant's medical school more than the primary care members did.