Detailed Information for Preceptors

How to prepare and plan for your intern

If you think you might be interested in being a preceptor for the PIER radiology summer internship, you may want to:

  1. Ask for support from your chairman. This does not mean financial support but your division director or chairman may be able to provide assistance you are unaware of.
  2. Obtain administrative support to assist with logistics. This person would be able to contact the student with all credentialing details such as HR paperwork, communication, and check on transportation needs to and from hospital. This person can set up requirements such as compliance training, etc.

FAQ for preceptors

Logistics

If you have a medical student coordinator in your department, that person could help the student integrate into medical student lecture and reading room rotation schedule. Since this is meant to be an internship that exposes the student to radiology, it would be good if he or she could spend time in subspecialty reading rooms or with a clinical colleague. Our intent is to provide the student with a diverse clinical radiology experience so he or she can see all aspects of radiology.

  • Assign a desk with computer and access to PACS.
  • Designate a person to teach student access to PACS and EMR
  • Establish rules for communication with preceptor (where, when/phone/pager, etc.)
  • Meet with your institution’s diversity office to see if they have any activities they suggest the student participate in. These includes any fun events outside the hospital!

Daily schedule

  • Create a calendar such as Google calendar with lectures, reading room schedules, etc. that both access and edit
  • Schedule deadlines (abstract submission, day of service*, etc.) on the calendar. Plan when data collection and analysis would be complete, and submission day for poster printing
  • Plan for any down time. For example, if you see a great case in the reading room, perhaps the student can submit an ACR case-in-point.

Research

  • Initiate IRB compliance training as soon as possible. Student will need ID and access to the network prior to this training.
  • Schedule focused phone meetings with your intern at least 1-2 months prior to their arrival. If there was an ongoing project which you plan on using, provide reading material. If the intern is starting a new project, use the first meeting to establish areas of interest and brainstorm research projects, and the second meeting to finalize plans and complete IRB. The study should be designed prior to student arrival. Ideally, the IRB would be submitted 1.5-2 months prior to the start date.
  • Enlist department biostatistician early on for help with study design and data analysis.
  • Have a schedule for deliverables for the research project so that the project’s abstract, data acquisition and analysis, and poster printing can be done on time.

Apply to be a preceptor

Preceptor Testimonials

 

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The PIER program is an unparalleled experience for first year medical students to be exposed to the breadth of the radiological sciences. Being a preceptor is a joy to be matched with an enthusiastic student who wants to explore a future career. Their hands-on experience of learning radiology enriches their academic study and future clinical experiences. I'm humbled and inspired by the number of ACR preceptors who volunteer to create this experience every year.

Leah Sieck, MD, Breast Imager, Indiana University School of Medicine

 

 

Excellent curriculum in the ACR PIER program! In Hawaii, medical students who cannot access the clinical experiences and mentoring of large academic Radiology programs are challenged early in their journey. We are grateful for the ACR PIER program that can connect bright young minds to advanced and multifaceted Rad and Rad Onc work, inspiring their curiosity and supporting forward progress along their Radiology pathway.

Elizabeth Ignacio

 Elizabeth Ignacio, MD, FSIR

 

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My experience with my mentee, Laura Minton, was great! One of the things I love about this program is the great batch of students who are extraordinarily energetic and engaged. It is gratifying to work with a student like Laura who asks thoughtful questions and is a reliable research partner. I hope to be involved in the PIER program in the future.

Nicholas M. Beckmann, MD
 

 

The ACR PIER program is one of the most important and essential aspects of being an academic radiologist. I am personally enriched by the diversity of viewpoints and experiences as it relates to ensuring the provision of care is equitable and conscientious. By recruiting from previously underrepresented demographics, in terms of gender, ethnicity, and geography, we ensure that our field will better reflect the values and expectations of our patients. I am humbled not only by the expertise and thoughtfulness of the faculty experts who provided content to this endeavor, but also by the passion and insight of the students we seek to recruit.

Daniel J. A. Margolis, M.D.
Associate Professor of Radiology
Director, Prostate MRI
Chair, Weill Cornell Institutional Review Board (Cancer)

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