Ratings based on interviews prior to acceptance in a Residency Program had relatively low to almost no predictive power. However, year by year supervisory ratings consistently discriminated in certain areas between Residents rated high and those rated low in each year. Items that were most important in the ratings included the Resident's ability in the clinical management of patients, expertise in one-to-one psychotherapy, ability to understand psychodynamics, and general knowledge of clinical psychiatry. Qualities such as sensitivity to others, appropriate reaction to criticism and response to supervision, openness, lack of anxiety, and self-awareness were also considered in discriminating between high and low performance. The authors conclude that the initial interview functions more as a means for exchanging information to insure congruence between the attitudes and expectations of the applicant and those of the department, rather than as a predictor of future performance.