Introduction: The medical residency is an educational system whose main purpose is to educate the physician, providing the necessary tools for an optimal training process during their specialization. Objective: To identify the characteristics of medical residency in three teaching centers in Lima, Peru. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional descriptive study in three teaching centers in Lima during March 2015. A structured survey was applied in medical residents. The survey had three sections: General data, job characteristics and academic characteristics of their medical residency. Results: The mean age was 29.4 ± 3.4 and 31 % were male. Occupational examinations were only taken in 57.1 % and most residents did not receive food in their centers. The 74.3 % and 7.1 % of residents reported receiving training in research methodology and occupational health respectively. However, both trainings were not rated as good by most of them. Conclusion: There are certain gaps in the ongoing training of medical residents, mainly on issues related to the prevention of occupational risks, working and infrastructure conditions, and research promotion.