Do data obtained from admissions interviews and resident evaluations predict later personal and practice problems?
OBJECTIVE
The authors assessed whether current methods of evaluating residency applicants and residents identify psychiatrists who later develop evidence of impairment.


METHODS
Residency admissions and performance data for all physicians who were enrolled in a psychiatry residency between 1965 and 1994 and who were referred to an impaired physician program up to 35 years later were matched for age and gender with a nonreferred physician from the same class.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between groups in admission interview assessments, performance ratings, or narrative observations by faculty during residency.


CONCLUSIONS
Standard approaches do not identify physicians at risk of later impairment.
Dubovsky
Steven L
SL
Department of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo, New York, USA. dubovsky@buffalo.edu
Gendel
Michael
M
Dubovsky
Amelia N
AN
Rosse
Joseph
J
Levin
Robert
R
House
Robert
R
D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D024382:Professional Role; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires