Initiatives for the 21st Century
As an academic department our educational mission is a fundamental responsibility and core value. This endeavor is led by Georgeann McGuinness, M.D., Vice Chair of Education, and spans medical student, resident, fellow, and continuing postgraduate education (see Radiata Volume 1), as well as faculty development, and mentoring at all levels. The department has invested considerable resources and commitment to craft initiatives which address the demands of radiology education in the twenty-first century. Our Mission Statement reads:
OUR OBJECTIVE is to produce leaders in clinical practice, teaching, and research.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY is to ensure the professional success and satisfaction of every house officer and faculty member in the department.
OUR METHOD of house officer training is through exposure to didactic teaching, clinical experience, and rigorous science, with graduated autonomy suitable to training level, in the proportions critical to developing world-class radiologists.
OUR METHOD of faculty development consists of continually pursuing clinical excellence, providing an environment and infrastructure supportive of research, ensuring effective faculty mentoring, and encouraging educational and ancillary academic interests.
OUR COMMITMENT is shared by the entire department.
To accomplish this mission, an Education Committee, chaired by Dr. McGuinness, was created and charged with establishing policies, initiating strategic planning, and developing, expanding, and implementing programs. It is composed of a representative from each section of the department, as well as the Residency Director and the Chief Residents. The efforts of this committee have resulted in a robust educational portfolio.
MEDICAL STUDENT RADIOLOGY EDUCATION
The Department of Radiology is dedicated to engaging our medical students by providing a superb introduction to radiology, an effort led by Joshua Becker, M.D. Radiology faculty contribute to the pre-clinical course curriculum, mainly through select lectures and small seminars integrated into the core material, often lending clinical relevancy to the didactic material. The mainstay of our contribution to the medical student curriculum is an extensive array of electives in radiology offered during the final two clinical years. The Introduction to General Radiology elective offers a survey of general radiology and radiologic subspecialties. Its foundation is an interactive digital electronic case study format, in keeping with transitions in the field of radiology, and is supplemented by a series of didactic sessions given by the faculty. We offer additional subspecialty electives as well as opportunities to participate in radiology research. A website allows students to review ongoing research projects in the department and to directly contact faculty for possible involvement. Our intention is to provide an overview of the specialty to the student considering Radiology as a potential career choice, and to supply the requisite foundation in imaging essential for those students pursuing other specialties.
THE RADIOLOGY RESIDENCY
The NYU Radiology Residency, directed by Michael Ambrosino, M.D., is widely ranked amongst the best programs nationally. We currently train 10 residents per year, for a total of 40 radiology residents in the program. Over the course of the four-year residency, an extensive fund of knowledge is embedded in our residents through clinical rotations, case conferences, and didactic lectures. Development of a core curriculum, and its delivery through a daily didactic lecture series, is a recently launched initiative. The monthly rotations provide unsurpassed practical training in conjunction with unique clinical opportunities afforded by diverse case exposure in rotations through the Tisch and Bellevue Hospitals, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, and the NYU Clinical Cancer Center. The quality and dedication to teaching of our faculty are the essential elements in successful education. The growth and depth of our research portfolio provides a nurturing environment and structure for residents to explore scientific investigation. Our residents are the recipients of coveted national and international research awards, publish widely during their residencies, perform commendably on board examinations, contribute significantly to the clinical care provided by the department, and obtain highly selective fellowship positions upon graduation. The recognition of the strength of our program is reflected by the fact that entry into the residency has become extremely competitive: we receive over 600 applications from the most qualified medical student candidates for our 10 residency positions.
A vigorous mentoring program guides each resident towards their individual level of professional fulfillment. Residents are assigned a faculty mentor based on their interests and stated proclivities in a desired mentor (age, gender, clinical versus research interests, etc.). Attention to successful “matching” of mentors and residents has proven to increase the likelihood that relationships will flourish. Each resident is polled yearly, by confidential survey, on the current status of their mentoring, and their level of satisfaction with the arrangement. As needs and professional interests evolve, adjustments can be facilitated based upon refinements in career and personal choices.
In 2005, Dr. McGuinness and the Education Committee were charged with developing a didactic curriculum for resident training. The curriculum incorporates topics from each of the subspecialties in radiology, but also covers ancillary subjects such as statistics, research design, translational medicine, molecular imaging, radiation safety and contrast reactions, imaging the pregnant patient, image processing and quantitative analysis, and public health issues, including radiologic tools for screening. The creation of this new curriculum was a most challenging task. It involved a needs assessment followed by much discussion both by the Education Committee and by the various sections of the department. Achieving the depth and balance sought in the curriculum required political compromise and significant commitment by the entire faculty.
A lecture series covering all points in the curriculum was implemented in July 2005, and is running over a two-year cycle. Each lecture is offered twice during the four-year residency. Midday lectures are delivered daily, a feat also demanding significant commitment from the entire faculty. There is almost full faculty participation and the presentations are of the highest quality. A snapshot of one month in our didactic lecture series is provided below (see page 3).
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