ACR-RFS NEWS & INFORMATION - July 2009

American College of Radiology Resident and Fellow Section | ACR-RFS NEWS & INFORMATION - July 2009

Moving On and Moving Up

The 2009-2010 RFS Executive Committee would like to congratulate the residency class of 2009 for making it through their visit to the Executive West in Louisville and completing oral boards. We wish the best of luck to all those beginning fellowship and starting out in practice.

"Getting Started" Handbook - Now Available

In follow up to the success of the Radiology Career Handbook, a new web-based handbook is now available from the ACR Resident and Fellow Section (RFS), titled "Getting Started: A Guide to Year One of Radiology Residency". The purpose of the guide is to fill a void and offer assistance and resources to individuals in the first year of radiology residency.

This comprehensive guide is the culmination of the work of the 2008-09 RFS Membership and Executive Committees and is available online at http://rfs.acr.org/pdf/GettingStarted_Handbook.pdf. This is a must-have for all first-years and a great overview and quick resource for upper level residents.

We invite you to review the handbook and encourage you to share the link with all first-year residents at your training program.

AMA 2009 Meeting Update

The AMA-RFS recently held its 33rd Annual Assembly Meeting to discuss and shape policy on a variety of issues including resident duty hours, transfer of care, direct-to-consumer advertising, loan repayment, health insurance coverage, and more. President Barak Obama addressed the AMA House of Delegates and asked the AMA for its help in reforming the nation's health care system. The first U.S. president since Ronald Regan to address the AMA House of Delegates, Obama said "You entered this profession to be healers. And that's what our health care system should let you be". Click here to watch President Obama's entire speech.

A good-sized group of radiology and radiation oncology residents attended this year's AMA-RFS Annual Meeting and definitely made an impact. Two of our residents were elected to committee positions in the "big house" of the AMA. Jason W. Sharp, M.D., a radiology resident at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, was elected to the resident/fellow position on the AMA Council on Constitution and Bylaws, and Shane Hopkins, M.D., a radiation oncology resident at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., was elected to the resident/fellow position on the AMA Council on Science and Public Health. The 2009 Interim AMA meeting is to be held in Houston, TX, November 5th-7th. The 2010 AMA Annual Meeting will again be held in Chicago, IL, June 10-12.

Complete a Brief Questionnaire and Help Your RFS

The RFS Executive Committee would like to better why residents are involved with the ACR, their knowledge of the organization and the support received at training programs with respect to ACR and politic involvement. Please take 5 minutes to complete a very brief questionnaire and provide your input so that we can gauge resident interest and involvement, as well as refocus our efforts to areas that may need improvement.

Click Here to access the questionnaire.

AFIP Housing Database

We need your help to keep the AFIP Housing Database current. The intent is to have this web-based resource serve as the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide on AFIP housing options. We are seeking a RFS member who will be attending AFIP to volunteer as the ACR-RFS liaison for their session. This role will be crucial to the continued existence of the housing database. The member liaison will be responsible for passing out and collecting housing surveys and encouraging attendees to submit their information. A prize will be raffled off during each session, with the winner selected from the surveys received. Please contact us at rfs@acr.org if you are interested in being the RFS liaison for your AFIP session.

RFS Web site Update

The RFS Web site has recently undergone a complete revision creating a more aesthetically pleasing interface with high yield content. Log onto to http://rfs.acr.org and see what's new! You can access your copy of the brand new "Getting Started" handbook or the Radiology Career Handbook, or link to the ever-growing MRI Teaching File. The newest additions to the site and relevant resident information can now be found in the "Featured Section" on the homepage. Upcoming additions to the site include keynote speeches from the recent RFS Annual Meeting and a brand new section focused on radiation oncology resident education.

Resident Voice in the JACR

Residents around the country are making their voices heard in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR). The Residents' and Fellows' Column has featured articles with topics ranging from advocacy, to call structure, to an initiative aimed at fostering community service. Visit the RFS Web site to access the JACR and find out what your colleagues are saying. If you have something to say and would like to be published in the JACR, please contact Trey Carr, M.D. (University of Virginia) resident member of the JACR editorial board.

Are You on Facebook? Become a Fan of the ACR and Play the ACR Case Challenge

The College has created a fan page on the popular social networking site Facebook in order to share information with ACR members and to educate patients and providers about the valuable role of radiology in patient care. We want to hear from you - become a fan today and join the conversation!

Based on Case in Point, ACR Case Challenge on Facebook allows you to test your radiology skills and challenge your friends with a new case each day. Play the day's challenge first, before you go through the case on Case in Point. Click here to learn more.

2009-2010 ACR Fellowships

We would like to extend congratulations to those individuals selected to complete ACR Fellowships for the 2009-2010 academic year.

James M. Moorefield, M.D. Fellowship in Economics and Health Policy

Amy Kao, M.D.

J.T. Rutherford Government Relations Fellowship

Gregory Frey, M.D., MPH

Pratima Karia, M.D.

Pooja Voria, M.D.

Please note, the June issue of the RFS E-News incorrectly stated that the J.T. Rutherford Fellowship had been suspended for the current year. The number of Fellows accepted for the Fellowship was reduced for the current year and new applications are not being accepted at the present time.

Fellowship in Health Services Research

Sharon Kwan, M.D.

RTOG ACR Radiation Oncology Resident Training Fellowship

Joshua Silverman, M.D.

Susannah Yovino, M.D.

Visit the RFS Web site for more information on all of the available ACR Fellowships.