Residency is the defining period in a physician's life. This is because it is the decisive stage for personal maturation and professional growth, as well as a time of intellectual challenge and emotional stress. It represents the major transitional interlude during which the graduated medical student is transformed into a practice-ready physician. This role change for the physician-in-training usually takes place in a new setting. Moreover, it necessitates coping with conflicting demands, heavy responsibilities, and long work hours. Adding to the resident's burden is the simultaneous need to manage acquired medical school debt, retain interpersonal relationships with family and friends, and build new ties to colleagues and supervisors. Consequently, the success of a resident, working under such demanding circumstances, depends to a very large extent on choosing the most appropriate specialty and training at a desirable facility. Both of these decisive factors are to a large extent under the resident's control.

In view of the very limited free time available to medical students, the ability to focus their attention on concerns relative to residency is quite restricted. Thus, it is important to provide prospective residents, in a single volume, with this wide-ranging residency guidance manual. This book is designed to facilitate their successful journey through a very demanding process that critically affects their professional future. It is especially written to meet the goal of providing invaluable advice and information that will impact very favorably on residents, by facilitating their journey both professionally and personally.