A Pragmatic Framework for Addressing Challenges and Mitigating Bias in Radiology Residency Selection: An Academic Residency Program's Experience.

Abstract

Radiology residency programs face substantial challenges every Match cycle due to the overwhelming number of applications, time constraints, and the constant paradigm shifts. The residency selection process is multifaceted, and biases can compromise every stage. Interviews are among the most notoriously subjective yet pivotal steps in the hiring process. Enhancing objective judgment in the residency selection is feasible by standardizing the process, shifting to a more structured interview format, and engaging a diverse array of individuals in the decision-making. Throughout the 2022-2025 ERAS cycles, our academic university-affiliated diagnostic radiology residency program instituted and continuously evolved a multilevel model for standardizing the residency application evaluation with the primary goal of providing an equal opportunity to all applicants, away from prejudices and biases, and to gauge residents who would resonate with our program's culture and mission. This manuscript clarifies the challenges and the subjectivity inherent in the residency selection process and details the specific strategies implemented to promote impartial applicants' evaluation. These strategies could potentially offer a systematic framework for programs seeking to reduce bias in the screening and assessment of residency applications.