ACR’s PIER Internship to Engage More Underrepresented Minorities and Women in Radiology

The American College of Radiology is proud to offer the Pipeline Initiative for the Enrichment of Radiology (PIER) internship program to current first-year medical students who identify as underrepresented minorities (URMs) or women. The initiative will give URMs and women increased opportunity to explore the radiology specialty and engage in research.

“The ACR’s Commission for Women and Diversity is committed to ensuring that the diversity of the radiology community continues to reflect the increasing diversity of the U.S. population and the patients we serve,” said Johnson Lightfoote, MD, MBA, chair of the ACR Commission for Women and Diversity. “The PIER internship attracts young talent that not only diversifies our physician workforce, but also increases effective communication, improves patient compliance and enhances quality of care.”

The ACR initially launched the PIER program in 2016 with the help of Nth Dimensions™. This year’s internship begins in June 2020 and culminates with presentation of the students’ research to the radiology section of the National Medical Association (NMA) at the NMA Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly in July or August. Five PIER candidates will be selected to work side by side with experienced radiologists in both academic and private practice environments.

“By participating in the PIER program, I was guided through multiple MRIs and CT scans, observed two internal radiation therapy treatments, reviewed chest x-rays with radiologists and even shadowed a neurosurgeon who also practices interventional radiology,” said Kirsten Schofield, a 2018 PIER scholar.

2017 PIER Scholar Rosa Miguel Garcia adds, “The PIER summer experience was essential in my development as a medical student. It provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in radiology, a field that I would not have been able to experience until late into the third and fourth year of medical school.”

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for the PIER internship by December 31, 2019.

In addition, the PIER program is still looking for radiologists and radiation oncologists to serve as preceptors. A preceptor supervises a student for eight weeks and assists him or her with a research project. After the internship concludes, preceptors serve as academic and career mentors for their students. For more information, or to apply to be a preceptor, please visit acr.org. PIER Preceptor applications may be submitted through Friday, January 31, 2020.

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About the American College of Radiology

The American College of Radiology is a membership organization of 38,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care.