title: [Selection of medical graduates for residency posts. A comparative study of the methodologies used in different countries].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The design of an appropriate method for the selection of medical graduates for residency posts is extremely important, not only for the efficiency of the method itself (accurate identification of most competent candidates), but also for its influence on the study and teaching methodologies operating in medical schools. Currently, there is a great variation in the criteria used in different countries and there is no definitively appropriate method. The use of isolated or combined criteria, such as the marks obtained by students in medical schools, their performance in tests of theoretical knowledge and evaluations of clinical competence, or personal interviews, have a limited value for identifying those candidates who will perform better during the residency and later on during independent practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the variability in the methodologies used for the selection of residents employed in different countries, in particular those used in the United Kingdom and USA, where external agencies and medical schools make systematic analyses of curriculum development. The advantages and disadvantages of national or transnational licensing examinations on the process of convergence and harmonization of medical degrees and residency programmes through Europe are discussed. The present analysis is used to design a new and more efficient multi-criteria methodology for resident selection in Spain, which will be published in the next issue of this journal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the multi-criteria methods used in UK and USA appear to be most consistent, these have been employed for designing the new methodology that could be applied in Spain. Although many experts in medical education reject national examinations for awarding medical degrees or ranking candidates for residency posts, it seems that, when appropriately designed, they can be used to verify the level of competence of graduating students without necessarily distorting curriculum implementation or improvement.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España. Electronic address: ramirodiezlobato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ramiro D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Lobato
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lagares
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villena
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García Seoane
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Roldán
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Pablo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Munarriz
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Castaño-Leon
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España; Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Alén
mesh_terms: D007396:Internship and Residency; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000379:methods*; D013030:Spain; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
keywords: Clinical competence; Competencia clínica; Especialización de posgrado; Examen MIR; Grado de medicina; Knowledge testing; MIR examination; Medical grade; Postgraduate specialization; Residencia; Residency; Selección de residentes; Selection for residency; Test de conocimientos