Evaluation of a resident selection process in plastic surgery

Determining the attributes that make a successful resident is a fundamental task for postgraduate medical educators. Clarke and Wigton (1) have stated that the five most critical qualities to be examined in the selection of surgical residents are knowledge, judgement, technical skills, work habits and interpersonal skills. Greater insight regarding the qualities that are critical for resident success would allow the process of resident selection to be finely tuned, thereby minimizing speculation. As yet, however, these at-