Potential Impact of a Pass or Fail United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 Scoring System on Radiology Residency Applications.

Rationale And Objectives: To assess the anticipated impact of the change in United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scoring from numerical to pass or fail on the future selection of radiology residents.

Materials And Methods: An anonymous electronic 14-item survey was distributed to 308 members of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology and included questions regarding the anticipated importance of various application metrics when Step 1 becomes pass or fail. Secondary analyses compared responses based on the current use of a Step 1 scoring screen.

Correlation of Quantitative Versus Semiquantitative Measures of Supraspinatus Intramuscular Fatty Infiltration to Shoulder Range of Motion and Strength: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: The relationship of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of rotator cuff intramuscular fatty infiltration (FI) to shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength are not well understood. Our purpose was to determine if supraspinatus quantitative Dixon fat fraction has superior correlation to shoulder ROM and strength as compared to semiquantitative Goutallier grade.

Methods: Thirty-seven study subjects received shoulder MRI; and measurement of ipsilateral shoulder forward flexion ROM, abduction ROM and abduction strength.

Association of Patient Self-Reported Shoulder Scores to Quantitative and Semiquantitative MRI Measures of Rotator Cuff Intramuscular Fatty Infiltration: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of supraspinatus fat fraction and Goutallier grade to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score in cohorts of older adults with painful full-thickness supraspinatus tendon (SST) tear and control subjects. Seventeen control subjects and 15 study participants with painful full-thickness SST tear were prospectively recruited (mean age ± SD, 63.0 ± 10.

Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship Application and Selection Process: Perceptions of Residents, Fellows, and Fellowship Directors.

Rational And Objectives: This study aimed to assess resident, fellow, and fellowship director perceptions of the musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology fellowship application process.

Materials And Methods: A task group constructed three surveys with questions about current and "ideal" fellowship application and selection processes. Surveys were distributed to MSK fellowship directors, who were also asked to give separate surveys to current fellows.

Diagnostic Radiology Resident Recruitment Part II: Advice to Applicants From Vice Chairs for Education.

Applicants to diagnostic radiology residencies often obtain advice regarding the process, typically from local individuals. Materials available on the Internet contribute to this process as well. We are a group of current and former Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program Directors and current Vice Chairs for Education who commonly advise medical students, including regarding radiology as a career.

Diagnostic Radiology Resident Recruitment Part I: Advice to Programs (and Program Directors) From Vice Chairs for Education.

To the best of our knowledge, there is little available organized advice for diagnostic radiology residency program directors and their programs regarding resident recruitment. We are a group of current and former program directors who are current vice chairs for education and continue to advise and to mentor many educators. We have constructed this article along the yearly schedule of trainee recruitment, including an application review, interviews, and troublesome trends that we have observed.

Case 229: Burn-related Global Ankylosis of Interphalangeal Joints with Associated Acroosteolysis.

History A 50-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of polyarthralgia involving the left and right hands, wrists, elbows, ankles, and knees. Her pain was not associated with morning stiffness but did worsen over the course of the day. She denied experiencing fevers, chills, or mouth ulcers.

Patient-centered care in diagnostic radiology: lessons learned from patient interviews prior to musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Since most radiologists do not meet with patients, questionnaires often substitute for face-to-face interviews to collect patients' history. We report the effect of direct radiologist-patient interviews on the quality of patient history recorded for musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging questionnaires completed by outpatients were separated into 2 cohorts: (1) imaging center (IC) forms with no radiologist interviews; (2) hospital (H) forms with radiologist-patient interviews.

Imaging evaluation of complications of hip arthroplasty: review of current concepts and imaging findings.

Total hip arthroplasty has evolved along with improvements in component materials and design. The radiologist must accurately diagnose associated complications with imaging methods and stay informed about newer complications associated with innovations in surgical technique, prosthetic design, and novel materials. This pictorial essay presents clinical and imaging correlation of modern hip arthroplasty complications, with an emphasis on the most common complications of instability, aseptic loosening, and infection as well as those complications associated with contemporary metal-on-metal arthroplasty.

Resident clinical duties while preparing for the ABR core examination: position statement of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology.

Historically, diagnostic radiology residents have been allowed time off from clinical duties to study for the ABR oral board examination. This practice has resulted in a disruptive "board frenzy" at many programs. The new ABR examination structure gives programs an opportunity to evaluate this practice.

Bilateral symmetrical cortical osteolytic lesions in two patients with Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the reduced or absent activity of glucocerebrosidase. The disease is split into three types. Type 3, or chronic neuronopathic GD, manifests with heterogeneous clinical presentations.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® on acute shoulder pain.

The shoulder joint is a complex array of muscles, tendons, and capsuloligamentous structures that has the greatest freedom of motion of any joint in the body. Acute (<2 weeks) shoulder pain can be attributable to structures related to the glenohumeral articulation and joint capsule, rotator cuff, acromioclavicular joint, and scapula. The foundation for investigation of acute shoulder pain is radiography.

ACR appropriateness criteria on metastatic bone disease.

Appropriate imaging modalities for screening, staging, and surveillance of patients with suspected and documented metastatic disease to bone include (99m)Tc bone scanning, MRI, CT, radiography, and 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose-PET. Clinical scenarios reviewed include asymptomatic stage 1 breast carcinoma, symptomatic stage 2 breast carcinoma, abnormal bone scan results with breast carcinoma, pathologic fracture with known metastatic breast carcinoma, asymptomatic well-differentiated and poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma, vertebral fracture with history of malignancy, non-small-cell lung carcinoma staging, symptomatic multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma staging and surveillance, and suspected bone metastasis in a pregnant patient. No single imaging modality is consistently best for the assessment of metastatic bone disease across all tumor types and clinical situations.

Balancing clinical service and education in the radiology residency.

Rationale And Objectives: Among the various medical disciplines, the radiology residency faces unique challenges when balancing clinical service and education, which have not been explored in the literature.

Materials And Methods: The authors present a summary of material generated during collaborative sessions at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Association of University Radiologists in Seattle, Washington, in March 2008, including strategies on maintaining an appropriate emphasis on education in the face of increasing service obligations, with a review of the pertinent literature.

Results: Although the topic of service and education has been explored in the medical and surgical literature, little has been published in the radiology literature.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria on suspected osteomyelitis in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Imaging of the diabetic foot is among the most challenging areas of radiology. The authors present a consensus of the suggested tests in several clinical scenarios, such as early neuropathy, soft-tissue swelling, skin ulcer, and suspected osteomyelitis. In most of these situations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with or without contrast is the examination of choice.

Musculoskeletal radiology curriculum for radiology residents.

This article outlines a curriculum for resident education in musculoskeletal radiology that addresses the current requirements for assessment of the general competencies as set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Fellowship directors' perceptions of the 2005 NRMP Radiology Fellowship Match.

Rationale And Objectives: The aim of the study is to gauge radiology fellowship directors' experiences with the fellowship application process and perceptions of the National Resident Matching Program Radiology Fellowship Match, as well as compare these perceptions with those of senior residents.

Methods And Materials: An electronic survey was sent to 291 members of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology. Responses were compared directly with an earlier survey of senior residents who participated in the same cycle of the Fellowship Match.

From the archives of the AFIP. Radiologic spectrum of Paget disease of bone and its complications with pathologic correlation.

Paget disease of bone is a common disorder affecting approximately 3%-4% of the population over 40 years of age. The pathologic abnormality in Paget disease is excessive and abnormal remodeling of bone. Three pathologic phases have been described: the lytic phase (incipient-active), in which osteoclasts predominate; the mixed phase (active), in which osteoblasts cause repair superimposed on the resorption; and the blastic phase (late-inactive) in which osteoblasts predominate.