Chief resident selection in US dermatology residency programs

Chief residents are typically selected as leaders from the senior-most residents in a residency program. The definition of the role likely varies widely between various residency programs. We aimed to gain a better understanding of responsibilities of chief residents in dermatology programs and to identify selection methods. After institutional review board review, we created a Qualtrics survey distributed through a listserv of program directors (PDs) from US dermatology residency programs. Of 51 survey responses, 100% had chief residents, and 35.3% had all senior residents designated as chief residents. The majority of programs used several selection processes, but most frequently PD selection (n = 20). Programs (76%) reported other leadership opportunities for seniors. The most important attribute in selecting a chief resident was helpfulness, and PDs rated their perceived resident satisfaction with the selection process as an 8.24 out of 10, with 10 being most satisfied. Additional benefits for chief residents were reported at 86.9% (n=40) of programs. Most programs select chief residents based on merit. There is perceived satisfaction of residents regarding this process, and most programs report additional benefits for their chief residents.