RESIDENTS’ AND FELLOWS’ COLUMN KRISTINA HOQUE
ACR: What Every Radiology Resident Should Know (and Do) Matthew Covington, MD Residents, you are busy. Between completing rotations and call shifts, preparing for board examinations, contributing to research, and otherwise living their lives, residents have very little time. As a fourth-year resident, I get it. Nevertheless, I propose to each resident that you should invest time in the ACR as part of your professional training. If you are unsure, please read on, and your perspective may change.
WHAT IS THE ACR? The ACR is a more than 90-year-old organization that is run primarily by radiologists and radiation oncologists from all practice settings. Most physicians involved with the ACR maintain busy clinical schedules and participate on a volunteer basis. Those involved with the ACR are dedicated to protecting and improving the future of radiology and radiation oncology—your professional future. Residents should know that the ACR is a different organization from the ABR. Although the ACR and ABR both work to ensure high levels of clinical competence, the ABR is uniquely responsible for overseeing the board certification process. The core purpose of the ACR is “to serve patients and society by empowering members to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care.” The ACR recognizes that a typical residency
curriculum does not contain all integral knowledge necessary for professional success. Therefore, the ACR provides opportunities to supplement your education in areas such as leadership, practice management, health care economics, quality improvement, health care policy, and advocacy. Through the ACR, our profession maintains seats in the delegation of the AMA and obtains representation on important policy committees, such as the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee. Additionally, through organizations such as ACRIN, the ACR supports research that has proved vital to our specialty. The ACR also advocates for our profession through entities including the Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN), RADPAC, and ACRA, thereby providing a strong presence on Capitol Hill. Among other ACR initiatives pertinent to residents are the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS), Imaging 3.0, BI-RADS, the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, ACR Case in Point, and the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (please see acr.org for more information).
WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACR AS A RESIDENT? Involvement with the ACR will better prepare you for your rapidly
ª 2016 American College of Radiology 1546-1440/15/$36.00 n http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2015.07.024
approaching professional future. As you interact with the ACR, you will become a more informed physician and a stronger member of the health care community. Residents will find educational opportunities at ACR events that are taught by experts and designed for their level of training. Topics of particular usefulness for residents that have been discussed at recent state and national meetings include the state of the radiology job market, strategies on finding the job you want, interviewing skills, understanding employment contracts, fundamentals of practice management, overview of radiology practice models, and other topics that prepare residents to successfully transition to life after training. A natural consequence of being involved in the ACR is that you will meet many other radiologists in your state and across the country. Relationships formed through the ACR can lead to professional opportunities that can include enhanced fellowship and employment prospects. Friendships are also formed through the ACR that can enrich your experience in radiology. The ACR provides opportunities that you are unlikely to find elsewhere in your training. For example, at each annual meeting (next at ACR 2016), residents across the country join their state ACR delegations on Capitol Hill and promote legislative
109
priorities face to face with members of Congress and their legislative aids. Through experiences such as this, the ACR can help residents understand that there are many opportunities for radiologists to make a professional difference outside of the reading room.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACR? ACR membership is provided free of cost to all radiology residents in the United States. Meetings at both the state and national levels provide excellent opportunities for residents to learn about the ACR and become involved. Refer to the ACR website (acr.org) or ask other residents, fellows, or attending radiologists at your program to learn more about these meetings. Find out if your program has opportunities to support resident attendance at ACR meetings such as
ACR 2016. This meeting in Washington, DC, includes dedicated multiday programming specifically for residents in additional to the general program. Other opportunities for resident involvement at ACR 2016 include submitting research abstracts for presentation at the meeting and running for a leadership position on the RFS. Capitol Hill visits offer a unique opportunity for residents to gain firsthand experience in policy and advocacy. If you are unable to advocate in person on Capitol Hill, you can still be involved by joining the RAN. As part of the RAN you will become informed about key ACR policy initiatives and can use the RAN website to easily send letters to Congress. Residents can interact with the ACR on social media platforms, such as Twitter. There is an active ACR presence on Twitter that includes
monthly discussions for residents via the RFS and additional information from various official ACR accounts. The ACR sponsors various 2- to 4-week fellowships for residents (with stipends provided) in areas such as scholarly publishing, quality and safety, government relations, economics and health policy, and education. The Radiology Leadership Institute provides an additional opportunity for residents to acquire management and leadership skills, with some scholarship opportunities provided. In summary, the ACR is multifaceted and can work for any resident. If you are an ACR novice, try it out. Regardless of your professional ambitions and interests, there is a place in the ACR for you. Contributing to the ACR will make you a better physician and will help ensure a strong collective future for our profession.
The author has no conflicts of interest related to the material discussed in this article. Matthew Covington, MD: Banner University Medical Center, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Department of Medical Imaging, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724-5067; e-mail: [email protected].
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Journal of the American College of Radiology Volume 13 n Number 1 n January 2016
ACR: What Every Radiology Resident Should Know (and Do) Matthew Covington, MD Residents, you are busy. Between completing rotations and call shifts, preparing for board examinations, contributing to research, and otherwise living their lives, residents have very little time. As a fourth-year resident, I get it. Nevertheless, I propose to each resident that you should invest time in the ACR as part of your professional training. If you are unsure, please read on, and your perspective may change.
WHAT IS THE ACR? The ACR is a more than 90-year-old organization that is run primarily by radiologists and radiation oncologists from all practice settings. Most physicians involved with the ACR maintain busy clinical schedules and participate on a volunteer basis. Those involved with the ACR are dedicated to protecting and improving the future of radiology and radiation oncology—your professional future. Residents should know that the ACR is a different organization from the ABR. Although the ACR and ABR both work to ensure high levels of clinical competence, the ABR is uniquely responsible for overseeing the board certification process. The core purpose of the ACR is “to serve patients and society by empowering members to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care.” The ACR recognizes that a typical residency
curriculum does not contain all integral knowledge necessary for professional success. Therefore, the ACR provides opportunities to supplement your education in areas such as leadership, practice management, health care economics, quality improvement, health care policy, and advocacy. Through the ACR, our profession maintains seats in the delegation of the AMA and obtains representation on important policy committees, such as the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee. Additionally, through organizations such as ACRIN, the ACR supports research that has proved vital to our specialty. The ACR also advocates for our profession through entities including the Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN), RADPAC, and ACRA, thereby providing a strong presence on Capitol Hill. Among other ACR initiatives pertinent to residents are the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS), Imaging 3.0, BI-RADS, the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, ACR Case in Point, and the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (please see acr.org for more information).
WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACR AS A RESIDENT? Involvement with the ACR will better prepare you for your rapidly
ª 2016 American College of Radiology 1546-1440/15/$36.00 n http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2015.07.024
approaching professional future. As you interact with the ACR, you will become a more informed physician and a stronger member of the health care community. Residents will find educational opportunities at ACR events that are taught by experts and designed for their level of training. Topics of particular usefulness for residents that have been discussed at recent state and national meetings include the state of the radiology job market, strategies on finding the job you want, interviewing skills, understanding employment contracts, fundamentals of practice management, overview of radiology practice models, and other topics that prepare residents to successfully transition to life after training. A natural consequence of being involved in the ACR is that you will meet many other radiologists in your state and across the country. Relationships formed through the ACR can lead to professional opportunities that can include enhanced fellowship and employment prospects. Friendships are also formed through the ACR that can enrich your experience in radiology. The ACR provides opportunities that you are unlikely to find elsewhere in your training. For example, at each annual meeting (next at ACR 2016), residents across the country join their state ACR delegations on Capitol Hill and promote legislative
109
priorities face to face with members of Congress and their legislative aids. Through experiences such as this, the ACR can help residents understand that there are many opportunities for radiologists to make a professional difference outside of the reading room.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACR? ACR membership is provided free of cost to all radiology residents in the United States. Meetings at both the state and national levels provide excellent opportunities for residents to learn about the ACR and become involved. Refer to the ACR website (acr.org) or ask other residents, fellows, or attending radiologists at your program to learn more about these meetings. Find out if your program has opportunities to support resident attendance at ACR meetings such as
ACR 2016. This meeting in Washington, DC, includes dedicated multiday programming specifically for residents in additional to the general program. Other opportunities for resident involvement at ACR 2016 include submitting research abstracts for presentation at the meeting and running for a leadership position on the RFS. Capitol Hill visits offer a unique opportunity for residents to gain firsthand experience in policy and advocacy. If you are unable to advocate in person on Capitol Hill, you can still be involved by joining the RAN. As part of the RAN you will become informed about key ACR policy initiatives and can use the RAN website to easily send letters to Congress. Residents can interact with the ACR on social media platforms, such as Twitter. There is an active ACR presence on Twitter that includes
monthly discussions for residents via the RFS and additional information from various official ACR accounts. The ACR sponsors various 2- to 4-week fellowships for residents (with stipends provided) in areas such as scholarly publishing, quality and safety, government relations, economics and health policy, and education. The Radiology Leadership Institute provides an additional opportunity for residents to acquire management and leadership skills, with some scholarship opportunities provided. In summary, the ACR is multifaceted and can work for any resident. If you are an ACR novice, try it out. Regardless of your professional ambitions and interests, there is a place in the ACR for you. Contributing to the ACR will make you a better physician and will help ensure a strong collective future for our profession.
The author has no conflicts of interest related to the material discussed in this article. Matthew Covington, MD: Banner University Medical Center, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Department of Medical Imaging, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724-5067; e-mail: [email protected].
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Journal of the American College of Radiology Volume 13 n Number 1 n January 2016
