how can you report how competitive dependable residency training programs are?

This information is from _Iserson's Getting into a Residency_, 6th edition. If you are looking for a residency, get this book.
For generic information just about specialities' match rate, use the table in the _NRMP Data Book_ The difficult the filling percentage, the more competitive that specialty is.
http://www.nrmp.org/2006advdata.pdf.
For information in the order of specific residencies, use FREIDA. Take a look at the "Number of Interviews" compared to "Number accepted" - but many residencies solely interview the top candidates.
http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/srch.
Among other criteria, residency programs tend to be "competive" according to how much they reward (compared to cost of living - $46K in NY city (awk!) versus $43K within Tucson (ahhhh.)) hours on duty (35-55/week,) number of years required, library & research resources, and location.
For quality, converse to course directors - this is extremely subjective, and changes over the years.
Ask around beside the people who are already enrol in them! I'd also interrogate EMTs who 'deliver' to the teaching hospitals. They other seem to own the inside information, and a lot know the Drs. who drill.