Otolaryngology residents' objectives in entering the workforce.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the priorities of current otolaryngologists-in-training in considering their first employment opportunities.


METHODS
Twenty-one-item survey measuring the importance of various first job issues, with all items scored on a five-point Likert-type ordinal scale.


METHODS
The resident membership of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery was anonymously surveyed by means of mail-in questionnaires. Results were stratified by years of training.


RESULTS
Responses from 242 of 1174 mail-in surveys (21% response rate) exhibited a wide distribution of responses for all 21 questions. The availability of free time to spend with one's family was regarded by more than half of the respondents to have the highest overall importance. As years of training increased, priorities shifted toward geographic location, away from issues such as the on-call schedules. The availability of research time and resources received the overall lowest priority, with more than half of the respondents ranking it as only somewhat important or lower.


CONCLUSIONS
Otolaryngologists-in-training feel strongest about the availability of free time to spend with their families as they finish formal training and consider employment opportunities. By acknowledging the concerns of graduating residents, including the ability to pursue their primary interests when they start working, we can better adapt conditions to create a more comfortable and stable entry into the workforce.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004651:Employment; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires