• J L Provan and L Cuttress.
• Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ont.
• CMAJ. 1995 Oct 1; 153 (7): 919-23.

ObjectiveTo determine the preferences of program directors for various grading systems and other criteria in selecting students for residency training positions through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS).DesignQuestionnaire survey.ParticipantsAll 110 directors of residency training programs in Ontario.SettingOntario medical schools.Outcome MeasuresWeighting of importance of different screening tools (e.g., grading systems, personal interview, dean's letter) used during undergraduate training.ResultsOf the 110 directors 96 (87%) responded. Of the 92 who rated the various grading practices 35 (38%) preferred a numeric grading system, 26 (28%) a letter grading system, 23 (25%) an honours/pass/fail system and 8 (9%) a pass/fail system. Most of the respondents from each school favoured a grading system that was more discriminating than the one used at their location. The personal interview was regarded as the most important screening tool by 80 (83%) of the respondents; the dean's letter was considered to be very useful by only 16 (17%).ConclusionsMore value was placed by program directors on a numeric or other more discriminating grading system than on the pass/fail system. Although the grading system provides only one type of screening mechanism it raises the question of whether there should be a policy for uniform grading practices for all Canadian students.

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