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.