- Specialty – is this specialty going to get me where I want to be?
- Location – this list is in no particular order…but some consider this very high up on your list. One thing you need to think about is do you care more about a good program or a good location. You can certainly have both…but what are you going to compromise on when push comes to shove?
- Academic center or community hospital? – Typically, it is better to do your training in the setting that you want to work in afterward.
- How many residents per year? – Do you want a small intimate program where everyone knows everybody? Or a larger program where you have more personal space (but also have to share a lot more).
- Fellowship – If you want to do a fellowship, it’s definitely good to look and see how many residents per year pursue a fellowship.
- Morale – Do you want a happy environment? Or a more cut-throat, competitive environment?
- Elective time – If you have a particular area of interest, will the program you are looking at allow you to pursue that during residency?
- Time off – It’s a big deal! I have seen programs that give 9 days off TOTAL (and I mean INCLUDING holidays and sick days)…while some give you 21 days off PLUS holidays and sick days.
- Pay – Honestly, the pay varies a lot. Typically between $40,000 – $60,000/year. And not all residency programs include health insurance.
- Patient population – Again, you want this similar to the type of work you want to do afterward.
- Patient volume – in general, higher volume is typically better. Especially for surgical or procedural specialties.
- Research – If you want to do research, you need to go to a program that puts out research.
- Educational stipends – Some programs give you money each year for books and conferences, some don’t.
