Abstract
<p><em>Each year the majority of osteopathic students do not participate in the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) match. The ongoing merger of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and AOA graduate medical education does not delineate formation of a single match process. This qualitative study explores the perceptions of osteopathic medical students about the matching process and perceived differences between the matches.</em></p><p><em>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with third and fourth year osteopathic medical students. Transcripts were analyzed </em><em>using Grounded Theory. The replies to each question were considered separately as well as in context of the entire interview. </em></p><p><em>Eleven medical students were interviewed. </em><em>Many of the themes found in the current study are consistent with past surveys. Local culture, lifestyle balance and geographic location were the themes found under Home Life, whereas Academic or Work Life consisted of good fit, diversity of patients, hands-on experience and formal educational process.</em></p><p><em>Two broad themes were developed: Home Life and Academic Life. </em><em>A perceived balance between the two is necessary for a residency program to have substantial appeal.</em></p>
Highlights
Several factors have been identified in past research as important to students when choosing a residency program, to date little is known about the desires and motivations of the osteopathic clerkship students who intend in advance of the match to solely participate in the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) process
The goal of this study is to explore the perceptions and intentions of this group of students as related to their intended match behavior and rationale for choosing an allopathic residency program
2.1 After IRB (Institutional Review Board) Approval, Semi-Structured Interviews of Current Third and Fourth Year Osteopathic Medical Students Were Conducted A convince sample of students rotating through the emergency department at Skiff Medical Center or attending an ACOEP (American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians) conference were initially approached for an interview
Summary
Several factors have been identified in past research as important to students when choosing a residency program appear to be: fit, emotional state of the current residents, geographic location, interview day experience, reputation/facilities, quality of training/faculty/education. The National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), which is the match for allopathic residency positions, released a survey study report that delineated considerations of greatest importance to medical students when ranking residency programs: quality of clinical training, faculty commitment to resident education, quality of faculty, quality of residents in program, house staff morale, quality of educational curriculum, geographic location, balance between faculty supervision and resident management responsibility for patient care, work/life balance, diversity of patient population. The goal of this study is to explore the perceptions and intentions of this group of students as related to their intended match behavior and rationale for choosing an allopathic residency program
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