Factors determining satisfaction in psychiatry training in Israel

Objectives: The authors aim to identify the most important factors for Israeli residents in determining their satisfaction with psychiatric training programs and to compare the findings with similar U.S. data. Methods: One hundred sixty Israeli psychiatric residents were asked to complete a 40-item questionnaire indicating the relative importance of these items in determining their satisfaction with training on a five-point Liken scale. Results: A total of 100 residents from 15 programs completed the survey. The authors composed a list of the 10 most important items in determining Israeli residents' satisfaction with psychiatric training. "Quality of supervision" and "respect of faculty for residents" were the most important items on this list. These items were ranked significantly higher than all the rest of the items. The authors identified some significant differences between subgroups of the Israeli residents, namely the Israeli and international medical graduates. The list of the most important items for Israeli residents was found to be very similar to published findings for U.S. residents. Conclusion: Program directors should consider this list of most important items in determining resident satisfaction, especially the domains of educational opportunities and educational ambiance, when attempting to improve training programs.