Residents' Perceptions of Usage of the Current Alumni and Attending Network for a Formal Mentorship Program in an Academic Affiliated Community Hospital Radiology Residency

Rewinding the Clock: Preparing the Next Generation of Radiology Residents for Oral Boards

The replacement of the ABR in-person oral examination with the DR certifying examination affected approximately 15,000 radiologists, spanning from 2013 to 2027. This decision was motivated by better aligning with the timing of other American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) members, more closely reflecting real-world practice of radiology and narrowing training geared towards the trainee's subspecialty preference. However, in retrospect, this change may have subtracted from the quality and value of diagnostic radiology training as a whole with the de-emphasis on competence in general radiology, communication skills, and cognitive reasoning. In this paper, the authors lay out a blueprint necessary in order to rewind the clock of how diagnostic radiology programs can prepare their trainees for the new DR oral examination. Such a change will require substantial redactions affecting all designations, including radiology faculty, education teams, departmental leadership, academic institutions, ACGME, and ABR. The authors believe that implementing these modifications will not only effectively equip radiology candidates for the new DR oral examination but will also augment the significance of radiologists as indispensable members of multidisciplinary teams. The authors also outline the challenges that could emerge from these changes and speculate on the anticipated role of AI in future oral board examinations.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Graduate Medical Education in Radiological Fellowships using Accessible Content

Graduate medical education in radiology serves an imperative role in training the next generation of specialists. Given the regularity of virtual interviews, the website of a fellowship programs remains a critical first-line source of information of applicants. The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate 7 radiology fellowship programs utilizing a systematic process. A cross-sectional descriptive 286 graduate medical education fellowship programs in radiology were screened from the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA). Extracted data was evaluated for comprehensiveness using 20 content criteria, and a readability score is calculated. The mean comprehensiveness among all fellowship program websites was 55.8% (n = 286), and the average FRE among the program overview sections was 11.9 (n = 214). ANOVA revealed no statistical significance in program website comprehensiveness between radiology fellowships (P = 0.33). The quality of a program's website data continues to serve an important role in an applicant's decision-making. Fellowship programs have improved in their content availability overtime, but content reevaluation needs to be continued for tangible improvement.

Formal mentorship in Canadian radiology residency programmes

AIM

To characterise formal mentorship programmes in Canadian radiology residency programmes, to evaluate residents' perspectives on formal mentorship, and to identify ways to optimise mentorship during radiology training.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An anonymous survey was distributed to radiology resident representatives of the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Resident and Fellow Section (RFS). Questions pertained to the presence and structure of formal mentorship programmes at each participant's institution.

RESULTS

The survey was distributed to 33 radiology residents, of which 30 responded. All 16 accredited radiology residency programmes in Canada were represented. Of these programmes, 12 (75%) had formal mentorship programmes and four (25%) did not. The structure of formal mentorship programmes varied among institutions including one-on-one and group mentoring. For 33% of residency programmes, the programme director assigned the mentor and mentee groups. Only 33% of respondents had the option of choosing their mentor. Lack of funding and lack of time were the two main perceived barriers by residents to maintaining mentorship relationships.

CONCLUSION

Although not all radiology residency programmes in Canada have a formal mentorship programme, most have a form of structured mentorship in place. As formal mentorship programmes improve overall mentorship experience during residency, they can lead to improved research productivity, fellowship, and career preparation, as well as work-life balance for Canadian radiology residents.

"Everybody in this room can understand": A qualitative exploration of peer support during residency training

Objectives

Though peer support groups are often utilized during residency training, the dynamics, content, and impact of social support offered through peer support are poorly understood. We explored trainee perceptions of the benefits, drawbacks, and optimal membership and facilitation of peer support groups.

Methods

After engaging in a peer support program at an emergency medicine residency program, 15 residents and 4 group facilitators participated in four focus groups in 2018. Interview questions explored the dynamics of group interactions, types of support offered, and psychological impacts of participation. The authors conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of data, performing iterative coding and organization of interview transcripts.

Results

Discussions with experienced senior residents and alumni normalized residents' workplace struggles and provided them with insights into the trajectory of their residency experiences. Vulnerable group dialogue was enhanced by the use of "insider" participants; however, residents acknowledged the potential contributions of mental health professionals. Though groups occasionally utilized maladaptive coping strategies and lacked actual solutions, they also enhanced residents' sense of belonging, willingness to share personal struggles, and ability to "reset" in the clinical environment.

Conclusions

Participants offered insights into the benefits and drawbacks of peer support as well as optimal peer group composition and facilitation. Support groups may be more effective if they engage a complementary model of alumni and pre-briefed psychologist facilitators, avoid fatalism, and aim to foster intimate connections among residents. These findings can inform the development of future initiatives aiming to create a safe space for trainees to discuss workplace stressors.

Mentoring in radiology: An asset worth exploring!

Residents experience high pressure to be successful in both their career and in keeping up an optimal work-life balance. With a mentoring program, faculties can alleviate stress and provide help for their residents. It is now well established that mentor-mentee relationships during medical school, have influence in career decisions and professional identity formation. The same can be said for mentor-mentee relationships during radiology residency. In general, universal rules of mentoring are also useful and applicable in the field of radiology. These universal rules for establishing a successful mentoring relationship include creating a relationship of trust and confidentiality, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, establishing short- and long-term goals, using open and supportive communication, and collaboratively solving problems. The institutions and the radiology departments should be well prepared and aware of the responsibility to have trainees, providing time for mentors to dedicate to their academic duties. They have to implement strategies to effective mentor matching and orientation as well as the ability to provide evaluation with qualitative feedback. Periodic assessment should be warranted together with the incorporation of new technology as it plays a critical role in the training of millennial radiologists as they take the profession into a technology-laden future of medical imaging.

The European Society of Head and Neck Radiology Mentoring Programme: development and feedback during the first phase of the initiative

There is increasing awareness of the benefits of formal mentorship programmes in radiology. In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic which impacted on education, professional engagement and networking within the wider radiological community, the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology (ESHNR) decided to develop a formal mentoring programme. The ESHNR mentoring initiative is novel in its scope, whereby European and international members of a subspecialty radiology society are matched into mentor–mentee pairings to disseminate good practice, knowledge and ideas. The purpose of this report is to describe the motivations, planning, challenges and early experience of the ESHNR mentoring programme together with initial feedback from the scheme.

The development of the programme and iterative modifications during the first phase of the scheme are described. The programme has enrolled 33 mentors and 27 mentees with international representation and 24 mentor–mentee pairs have participated in 2.6 (mean) meetings. The experience and benefits reported by the participating ESHNR members (mentees and mentors) were evaluated by a questionnaire at six months following the start of the programme. There were 80% of mentors and 88% of mentees who strongly agreed that the mentoring programme was rewarding rather than an obligation, and all participants reported that they would recommend the scheme to colleagues.

A formal mentoring programme has been established for an international subspecialty radiology society. The early experience is encouraging and suggests that it is both useful and sustainable. Our experiences may be of benefit to other subspecialty societies considering a mentoring programme.

Initial Experience With Formal Near-Peer Mentoring in Radiology Residency

Mentorship plays an important role in academic medicine and research. This article describes the implementation of a near-peer mentoring program for radiology residents at a single institution and assesses its utility. Of all invited residents, 100% elected to participate. Among the surveyed participants, 63.8% reported that COVID-19 restrictions resulted in feelings of isolation at work, higher in junior residents (74%) as compared to senior residents (50%). Eighty-three percent of residents agreed that the mentorship program allowed them to engage with residents that they would not routinely spend time with, and nearly all (95.7%) of surveyed residents indicated that they would recommend deployment of this mentorship program at other institutions. Together, these findings demonstrate that near-peer mentoring groups in radiology residency are a valuable addition to the training program, serve to increased resident engagement and sense of community, and provide and internal reference for guidance across resident-related issues.

Radiology Mentoring Program for Early Career Faculty-Implementation and Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To implement a mentoring program for early career faculty in an academic radiology department and to assess its impact on career development.

METHODS

A formal departmental mentoring program for early career faculty (instructors) who were paired with senior radiologists outside of their division was implemented. The program provided structured one-on-one mentoring, creation of a mentoring network, and opportunities for peer mentoring. A survey was conducted before and 1 year after initiation of the program. Historical data on promotion over 5 years before the implementation of the program was used to determine the impact on the rate of promotion. The study was exempt from institutional review board approval.

RESULTS

Before and 1 year after implementation of the mentoring program, 57% versus 86% of instructors were satisfied with their mentor (P = .04); 43% versus 90% felt that by encouraging mentorship, the department valued their professional development (P = .001); 38% versus 86% felt that the department created an environment that promoted feedback and sharing of information (P = .002); and 43% versus 76% felt that faculty strove to support each other (P = .03). Since implementation of the program, 43% of instructors received grant funding, 50% received other awards, and 10 instructors were promoted to assistant professor, compared with an average of 4.2/y over the past 5 years. Of those, three were underrepresented minorities in medicine versus none in the previous 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

A mentoring program helped to advance the careers of early career and minority radiology faculty and helped create an atmosphere of more openness and support in the department.

Mentorship in academic radiology: why it matters

Mentorship plays a critical role in the success of academic radiologists. Faculty members with mentors have better career opportunities, publish more papers, receive more research grants, and have greater overall career satisfaction. However, with the increasing focus on clinical productivity, pressure on turn-around times, and the difficult funding climate, effective mentoring in academic radiology can be challenging. The high prevalence of “burnout” among radiologists makes mentorship even more important. This article reviews benefits and challenges of mentorship in academic radiology, discusses how to institute a faculty mentoring program, examines different types of mentoring, and reviews challenges related to diversity and inclusion.