Changing Interactions Between Physician Trainees and the Pharmaceutical Industry: A National Survey

Among medical students and residents surveyed, industry-sponsored gifts increased significantly across training levels, rising from 33.0% among first-year students to 56.8% among fourth-year students and 54% among residents. The perception that physicians receive valuable education through industry interactions also increased from 64.1% to 79.8%. Schools with higher NIH funding reported fewer industry gifts, but institutional conflict of interest policies showed no association with reduced gift-giving. Despite recent policy efforts to limit pharmaceutical industry access to trainees, stronger or more effectively enforced policies may be needed to meaningfully reduce these interactions.