Reasons for Choosing a Reference Hospital During the Application for Medical Residency Programs: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Medical residency (MR) programs consist of medical education systems based on the healthcare network as a teaching place. The Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP) is a referral center for several medical specialties and presents one of the largest MR programs in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To assess the main reasons why residents choose a reference hospital to apply for a medical residency position. METHODS: Cross-sectional study performed with 165 medical residents of a reference hospital (IMIP) located in the Northeast region of Brazil between 2019 and 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, medical formation, preparation for the residency exam, expectations regarding the program, and the reasons leading the residents to choose the IMIP were assessed. RESULTS: Most participants initiated the residency program 2 to 3 years after graduating the medical school. Most of the sample (78.8%) took preparation courses for the residency. The main expectations that led the residents to choose the IMIP were: the complexity of cases (81.2%), the number of patients (79.4%), technical quality of the preceptors (76.4%), prestige of the institution (75.1%), and preceptors’ motivation (57.6%). CONCLUSION: Medical residents join residency programs based on expectations of medical practice scenarios that enable an adequate number of patients and quality preceptorship.