1. At what point did you know for sure what residency you were going to choose?
 Response PercentResponse Total
  1st year or before
13.4%24
  I decided during my 3rd year clerkships
27.4%49
  My 4th year electives solidified it
19.6%35
  I was unsure even as I applied for residency
31.8%57
  Other (please specify)
7.8%14
Total Respondents  179
(skipped this question)  1
2. What was most important to you in choosing your specialty? (please be honest, your results are anonymous)
 Response PercentResponse Total
  Love of the field
53.6%96
  Money
5%9
  Difficulty of residency
4.5%8
  Lifestyle as attending
22.9%41
  Reputation
2.8%5
  Other (please specify)
11.2%20
Total Respondents  179
(skipped this question)  1
3. How did the following affect your choice of specialties?
Crucially importantOne of the key factorsIt wieghed in my decisionI barely thought about itNot at allResponse Total
Your future lifestyle (money, time, etc)
31% (56)38% (68)21% (37)4% (8)5% (9)178
What your friends were doing
2% (4)6% (10)16% (29)31% (56)45% (80)179
The stereotype of different specialties (i.e. "coolness factor")
7% (13)15% (26)30% (53)26% (46)23% (41)179
The torture level of the residency
11% (20)24% (43)34% (60)20% (36)11% (19)178
Family influence
4% (7)11% (20)22% (40)24% (43)39% (69)179
The enjoyment of the material
41% (73)39% (69)16% (29)3% (5)1% (2)178
The likelihood (or unlikelihood) of matching
15% (27)24% (43)28% (50)20% (36)13% (23)179
Total Respondents  179
(skipped this question)  0
4. Was there a time during your residency when you seriously thought about swicthing (if you actually switched, the answer is 'yes')
 Response PercentResponse Total
  Yes
50.6%90
  No
49.4%88
Total Respondents  178
(skipped this question)  2
5. Was your specialty of choice more or less what you thought it would be?
 Response PercentResponse Total
  Absolutely
16.3%29
  Pretty much
62.9%112
  Not really
15.2%27
  Not even close
5.6%10
Total Respondents  178
(skipped this question)  2
6. On a scale of 1-5, where 5 means you loved it, how would you rate your satisfaction with your choice?
 Response PercentResponse Total
  1
5.1%9
  2
7.9%14
  3
25.8%46
  4
33.7%60
  5
27.5%49
Total Respondents  178
(skipped this question)  2
7. What do you think is the biggest flaw in our residency selection process?
 Response PercentResponse Total
  Time given to select a specialty
15.2%27
  Lack of exposure to what is out there
34.8%62
  Lack of guidance from medical school staff
14%25
  The competitive nature of some fields
22.5%40
  The way it's done today is fine
7.3%13
  Other (please specify)
6.2%11
Total Respondents  178
(skipped this question)  2