Relationship between quality of training programs and internists’ subsequent practice performance

Abstract

The influence of the quality of physicians’ medical school and residency training programs on subsequent practice performance has not been explored in depth. In this study, program directors and medical educators rated a large number of medical schools and residency programs based on their perceptions of the quality of each program's faculty, curriculum, program graduates, and national reputation. Performance of graduates of these programs was compared from among practicing board‐certified internists in three states who volunteered to undergo assessment. Methods to evaluate physician‐subjects included written evaluations of the subjects completed by professional associates and a written examination to measure medical knowledge and clinical decision making. The perceived quality of residency training programs was found to be weakly related to the physicians’ performance, as assessed by these measures. Differences were found in examination performance and in ratings by peer physicians of selected clinical skills, humanistic qualities, and communication skills. Perceived quality of medical schools did not appear in these analyses to be related to practice performance.