The authors report on a nationwide survey of psychiatric residency training directors who responded to a questionnaire designed to elicit information on the magnitude of the problem of unacceptable performance by residents. One hundred six program directors reported on 5,591 internship or residency positions from 1981 to 1985. A total of 184 residents (3.3%) were prematurely terminated or persuaded to resign; departmental deliberations were held on an additional 139 residents (2.5%). Reasons for dismissal and indications during the selection process that a trainee might prove problematic are discussed. A provocative finding was that 37% of terminated residents were accepted into other psychiatry training programs.