Do data obtained from admissions interviews and resident evaluations predict later personal and practice problems?

Objective: The authors assessed whether current methods of evaluating residency applicants and residents identify psychiatrists who later develop evidence of impairment. Method: Residency admissions and performance data for all physicians who were enrolled in a psychiatry residency between 1965 and 1994 and who were referred to an impaired physician program up to 35 years later were matched for age and gender with a nonreferred physician from the same class. Results: There were no significant differences between groups in admission interview assessments, performance ratings, or narrative observations by faculty during residency. Conclusions: Standard approaches do not identify physicians at risk of later impairment.