Structured, merit-based selection of radiology chief residents; a single center experience

Chief residents play a pivotal leadership role in postgraduate medical education. However, traditional seniority-based or informal selection practices may inadvertently miss out on essential qualities such as leadership and communication skills, professionalism, and peer trust. Evidence-based, merit-driven selection models in radiology, particularly from low- and middle-income country settings, remain scarce. Residents prioritize leadership, communication, professionalism, and advocacy over academic performance. Additionally, recent research demonstrates low awareness and limited perceived transparency of existing selection practices. Our aim, hence, is to develop and design a transparent, stakeholder-informed, merit-based chief resident selection framework in a radiology residency program. Implementation of a structured and contextually adaptable chief resident selection model can potentially offer a new and transformative approach to leadership selection in postgraduate radiology training, promoting meaningful, competency-based practices aligned with trainee expectations.