Factors influencing anesthesia residency selection: impact of global health opportunities.
OBJECTIVE
There is growing evidence to suggest that the current generation of medical students and young physicians is interested in global health. However, there are few data on the interest in global health by students pursuing a career in anesthesiology. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the importance of global health opportunities in regard to applicants' choice of anesthesiology residency programs.


METHODS
Anesthesiology residency program directors in the United States were invited to distribute an online survey to recently matched residents. To reduce study bias, the survey included a wide selection of reasons for program choices in addition to global health. Participants were asked to rate independently, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = least important, 10 = most important), the importance that each factor had on their selection of an anesthesiology residency program.


RESULTS
Of the 117 U.S. anesthesiology programs contacted, 87 (74%) distributed the survey. Completed surveys were obtained from 582 of 1,092 (53%) polled participants. All factors assessed were rated between 5 and 9 and the global health median [interquartile range] rating was 6 [3-7]. Nearly half of the survey respondents were interested in incorporating global health into future careers. More than three-quarters reported being interested in participating in, or reading about, global health activities during their residency. Responders with previous global health experience, or who were interested in an "in-country" experience, were more likely to choose programs that had global health opportunities available during residency.


CONCLUSIONS
Anesthesia residency program applicants are interested in global health. Having a global health opportunity was an important reason for choosing a residency program, comparable to some more traditional factors. Regardless of previous global health experience, the majority of future anesthesia residents are either planning or considering participation in global health activities during or after training.
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Bader 3, Boston, MA, USA. faye.evans@childrens.harvard.edu.
Faye M
FM
Evans
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Niharika R
NR
Mallepally
Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Gerald
G
Dubowitz
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Terrie
T
Vasilopoulos
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Bader 3, Boston, MA, USA.
Craig D
CD
McClain
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Kayser
K
Enneking
D000328:Adult; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States