Standardized Classification of Lumbar Spine Degeneration on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reduces Intra- and Inter-subspecialty Variability.

Background And Purpose: To determine the efficacy of standardized definitions of degenerative change in reducing variability in interpretation of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging within and between groups of subspecialty-trained neuroradiologists (NR) and musculoskeletal radiologists (MSK).

Materials And Methods: Six radiologists, three from both NR and MSK groups were trained on a standardized classification system of degenerative change. After an 11-month washout period, they independently re-interpreted fifty exams at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels.

Preparing Radiologists to Lead in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Designing and Implementing a Focused Data Science Pathway for Senior Radiology Residents.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML) have taken center stage in medical imaging. To develop as leaders in AI-ML, radiology residents may seek a formative data science experience. The authors piloted an elective Data Science Pathway (DSP) for 4th-year residents at the authors' institution in collaboration with the MGH & BWH Center for Clinical Data Science (CCDS).

Beyond business as usual: Radiology residency educational response to the COVID-2019 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted standard hospital operations and diagnostic radiology resident education at academic medical centers across the country. Deferment of elective surgeries and procedures coupled with a shift of resources toward increased inpatient clinical needs for the care of COVID-19 patients has resulted in substantially decreased imaging examinations at many institutions. Additionally, both infection control and risk mitigation measures have resulted in minimal on-site staffing of both trainees and staff radiologists at many institutions.

Quantifying Impact of Disruption to Radiology Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Implications for Future Training.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the impact on radiology resident education due to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to inform future educational planning.

Methods: During a 10-week study period from March 16 to May 22, 2020, changes to educational block-weeks (BW) of first through fourth year residents (R1-4) were documented as disrupted in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first 5 weeks and the second 5 weeks were evaluated separately for temporal differences.

USMLE Step 3 Scores Have Value in Predicting ABR Core Examination Outcome and Performance: A Multi-institutional Study.

Rationale And Objectives: We analyzed multi-institutional data to determine if Step 3 performance tiers can identify radiology residents with increased risk of Core examination failure and submean performance.

Materials And Methods: We collected Step 3 scores (USMLE Step 3 or COMLEX Level 3) and American Board of Radiology (ABR) Core examination outcomes and scores for anonymized residents from 13 different Diagnostic Radiology residency programs taking the ABR Core examination between 2013 and 2019. Step 3 scores were converted to percentiles based on Z-score, with Core outcome and performance analyzed for Step 3 groups based on 50th percentile and based on quintiles.

COVID-19 Impact on Well-Being and Education in Radiology Residencies: A Survey of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology.

Rationale And Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced rapid evolution of the healthcare environment. Efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus through social distancing and shelter-at-home edicts have unintended consequences upon clinical and educational missions and mental well-being of radiology departments. We sought to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology residencies with respect to the educational mission and perceptions of impact on well-being.

Trainee and Attending Perspectives on Remote Radiology Readouts in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Rationale And Objectives: Social distancing mandates due to COVID-19 have necessitated adaptations to radiology trainee workflow and educational practices, including the radiology "readout." We describe how a large academic radiology department achieved socially distant "remote readouts," provide trainee and attending perspectives on this early experience, and propose ways by which "remote readouts" can be used effectively by training programs beyond COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: Beginning March 2020, radiologists were relocated to workspaces outside of conventional reading rooms.

The Relationship Between US Medical Licensing Examination Step Scores and ABR Core Examination Outcome and Performance: A Multi-institutional Study.

Purpose: We analyzed multi-institutional data to understand the relationship of US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step scores to ABR Core examination performance to identify Step score tiers that stratify radiology residents into different Core performance groups.

Methods: We collected USMLE Step scores and ABR Core examination outcomes and scores for anonymized residents from 13 different diagnostic radiology residency programs taking the ABR Core examination between 2013 and 2019. USMLE scores were grouped into noniles using z scores and then aggregated into three tiers based on similar Core examination pass-or-fail outcomes.

The Radiology Resident as Teaching Consultant: An Innovative Peer-to-Peer Teaching Consultation Service to Strengthen Relationships With Referring Colleagues in the Era of Imaging 3.0.

Background: The American College of Radiology Imaging 3.0 paradigm emphasizes the need for radiologists to serve as imaging consultants to their referring colleagues. However, outside the reading room, teaching interactions between radiology and nonradiology residents are limited.

Reducing Burnout Among Radiology Trainees: A Novel Residency Retreat Curriculum to Improve Camaraderie and Personal Wellness - 3 Strategies for Success.

Objectives: To describe a residency retreat curriculum established to improve wellness and reduce burnout within a radiology residency.

Methods: A wellness retreat was created and implemented within a large academic medical center's radiology residency. The retreat curriculum was designed by a Radiology Residency Wellness Committee and was supported by departmental funding.

The Association of Program Directors in Radiology Well-Being 2019 Survey: Identifying Residency Gaps and Offering Solutions.

Purpose: The Well-Being subcommittee of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) Common Program Requirements (CPR) Ad Hoc Committee and the APDR Academic Output Task Force jointly conducted a study of APDR members' current level of understanding and implementation of the 2017 ACGME CPR regarding well-being.

Methods: A survey instrument consisting of 10 multiple-choice and open-ended questions was distributed to the 322 active members of the APDR. The survey focused on three main content areas: APDR member knowledge of the 2017 CPR, composition of department well-being curricula, and residency well-being innovations.

Intra- and Intersubspecialty Variability in Lumbar Spine MRI Interpretation: A Multireader Study Comparing Musculoskeletal Radiologists and Neuroradiologists.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the differences in degenerative spine MRI reporting between subspecialty-trained attending neuroradiologists and musculoskeletal radiologists (MSK) at a single institution, academic medical center.

Materials And Methods: Fifty consecutive outpatient noncontrast lumbar spine examinations were selected from the Picture Archiving and Communication System. Three MSK and 3 neuroradiologists (NR) independently reviewed and interpreted the exams at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels in the same manner as in clinical practice.

Quantifying and Characterizing Trainee Participation in a Major Academic Radiology Department.

Objective: Trainees play an important role in the delivery of medical services in academic medical centers, yet the full extent of their contribution in radiology is unknown. The purpose of this study was to quantify trainee involvement in a single large academic radiology department.

Materials And Methods: In this Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study performed in a tertiary care academic medical center, we identified the proportion of radiology reports with trainee involvement (by means of report co-signature) between July 2015 and June 2016.

Health Care Disparities in Radiology: A Primer for Resident Education.

As the population of the United States grows increasingly diverse, health care disparities become vital to understand and mitigate. The ethical and financial implications of how groups of Americans gain access to health care have evolved into some of today's most challenging socioeconomic problems. Educators in radiology are just beginning to tackle the concepts of health care disparities, unconscious bias, and cultural competency.

CT-guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections: do needle position and degree of foraminal stenosis affect the pattern of epidural flow?

Objective: To determine the effect of needle position and foraminal stenosis on contrast flow directionality during CT-guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI).

Materials And Methods: One hundred five consecutive CT-guided injections were performed in 68 patients (mean age, 65.5 years) from January 1 to December 31 2017, all with preceding MRI.

Factors Influencing Choice of Radiology and Relationship to Resident Job Satisfaction.

Purpose: Identify when current radiology residents initially became interested in radiology, which factors influenced their decision to pursue a career in radiology, and which factors correlate with job satisfaction.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to United States radiology residents between December 7, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Respondents identified the most appealing aspects of radiology during medical school, identified experiences most influential in choosing radiology, and scored job satisfaction on visual analog scales.

Customized Residency Leadership Tracks: A Review of What Works, What We're Doing and Ideas for the Future.

Effective leaders are essential to ensure the future of radiology. Radiologists often find themselves in leadership positions despite a lack of formal leadership training. The fourth year of residency is the ideal time to expose young physicians to leadership and extraclinical specialization, as such leadership development prior to fellowship may still impact academic career choice.

Genomic Resistance Patterns to Second-Generation Androgen Blockade in Paired Tumor Biopsies of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) receive second-generation androgen-deprivation therapy, but frequently experience relapse or do not respond. Understanding the genetic mechanisms of resistance will help to identify strategies and biomarkers that are essential for the next line of therapy.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed whole exomes of patient-matched pre- and post-treatment tumors from patients with CRPC.

Routine clinical knee MR reports: comparison of diagnostic performance at 1.5 T and 3.0 T for assessment of the articular cartilage.

Objective: Accurate assessment of knee articular cartilage is clinically important. Although 3.0 Tesla (T) MRI is reported to offer improved diagnostic performance, literature regarding the clinical impact of MRI field strength is lacking.