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In the wide range of Heinz Kohut's rich and seminal contributions, one particular aspect has received only scant attention. This was his lively interest in the problem of the evaluation of applicants for psychoanalytic training. Indeed, I believe this activity constituted his major scientific effort within the framework of the International Psychoanalytic Association, culminating in his chairmanship of the 2nd Pre-Congress Conference on training in Copenhagen in 1967—more than 20 years ago—in which this theme was addressed. There are probably two reasons for the seeming neglect: (1) the conference was followed by a period of extraordinarily creative activity in the development of the psychology of the self, of which the work on candidate evaluation was but one small facet of applied analysis, and (2) it dealt with a topic ordinarily relegated to the administrative halls of psychoanalytic institutes, usually in an atmosphere of hushed confidentiality.
Yet, this subject has always been a matter of deep concern to anyone who ever aspired to be an analyst and to those who had to make the decisions of selection. In spite of a fairly large literature in this area, ubiquitous discussions in institute committees, ambitious research projects, period follow-up studies, a sense of disquietude persists about the success of our efforts, a less than optimistic feeling about our ability to judge in advance who would make a good analyst. If psychoanalysis is an impossible profession, the task of selecting future analysts is even more impossible, if you will forgive the oxymoronic extension.