title: Residency training program: perceptions of residents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a phobia among doctors for the residency training program, since the establishment of the program over 30 years ago. The reason for establishing the program was mainly to provide the much-needed specialists in medicine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the perception of the residency training program among residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured questionnaires were administered to residents at 3 training institutions in Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred nineteen (85.5%) questionnaires were returned out of 140. The ages of respondents ranged from 27 to 42 years, the median age being 30 years. There were 110 males and 9 females. One hundred six (89.1%) were junior residents. Ninety (75.6%) were sponsored by the training institutions. Seventy-four (62.25%) felt their consultants were contributing just 50% or less to their training. Sixty-two (52.2%) of the respondents had attended a revision course, conference or seminar within the last 6 months. Majority of the residents would want better remuneration, up-front payment of examination and revision fees, more teaching by the consultants and less emphasis on the provision of services as ways of improving the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Majority of the residents are sponsored by the training institutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University and University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. yusufulazarus@yahoo.com
authors.forename: L M D
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Yusufu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Odigie
authors.forename: I Z
authors.initials: IZ
authors.lastname: Delia
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mohammed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires