At a Glance / Aperçu

Students more focused in residency goals

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 155: 564

Although the proportion of eligible students applying for residencies in general surgery has dropped since 1993, the number of applications has increased, the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS) reports. In the 1993 match, 276 of the 1432 participants (19.3%) applied for a residency in general surgery. This year that number dropped to 194 of 1348 participants (14.4%).

Although the figures suggest there has been a decrease in the number of applications for residencies in general surgery, the total number of applications for specific programs in the field has jumped from 1203 in 1993 to 1429 in 1996. Writing in the CAGS Newsletter, Canadian Resident Matching Service Executive Director Sandy Banner said students realize their chance of a successful match to their career choice is excellent (82% of graduates match to their first-choice discipline) and they apply to more programs within that chosen discipline in an attempt to guarantee acceptance.

| CMAJ September 1, 1996 (vol 155, no 5) |