Chelsea Schmitt, MD, MPH
ACR 2023 Recap
Radiology residents and medical students gathered in Washington, DC, May 6–10 to attend #ACR2023. This marked the 100th year in American College of Radiology® (ACR®) history, which was celebrated at the #ACR100 Centennial Celebration!
ACR Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) programming was kicked off by @ANorbash, who spoke about innovative leadership in radiology. He encouraged us to consider where we will lead the future of our specialty with a focus on a culture of experimentation and the influence of new power in leadership today. Check out these articles that inspired parts of his keynote:
Dr. Norbash was followed up by the dynamic duo of @ZekeSilva and @MelissaChen, who gave us a primer on the alphabet soup of factors that go into reimbursement in radiology. They illuminated some of the complex interplay regarding how the Relative Value Scale Update Committee of the American Medical Association advises the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding developing Relative Value Units, as well as how new codes regarding artificial intelligence (AI) now are incorporated into the system.
@CheriCanon then dropped in and advised us on ways to gain trust as early/growing leaders. Top takeaways were:
- Start doing the job BEFORE asking for the title.
- Always take the high road (but know it can be lonely at the top).
- Diversity is only a metric, at the core is inclusion.
- Practice empathy (particularly when it comes to generational gaps)
- Embrace your imposter syndrome.
- Leadership is about others, it’s not about you.
Peer review can be a touchy subject, but @andykmoriarity shared ways he has tackled this topic and how he has worked to integrate it into the culture of his practice. Our learning doesn’t end as #medstudents, #radres or #radfellows but continues throughout our career. Misses are an opportunity to grow and, as a field, we’re working on ways to get this feedback without a punitive connotation.
The hot topic of consolidation in radiology was next on the agenda from @danortizmd and Dr. Lawrence Muroff. They taught us that what’s old is new again; radiology has seen trends toward corporatization before. In considering joining a practice, they advised radiology trainees to inquire about the governance of the group they’re considering, understand the entire compensation package they’re being offered (including the value of company stock) and to consider asking the practice’s perspective on national radiology trends. Check out their @JACRJournal article on this topic here.
@juliaschoenMD and @JohnRScheel gave an overview of radiology’s role in climate change and population health, as well as their personal experiences with making changes toward sustainability in radiology. Check out @Rads4SF to learn more!
The first day wrapped up with @asset25 and @adambprater discussing pearls and pitfalls about AI and informatics in radiology. If you like figuring out how systems work (or malfunction) and digging in to fix them, maybe informatics is for you! Consider volunteering for the ACR RFS Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group or even applying for the ACR Fellowship in Informatics!
On day two, @RichDuszak brought up the elephant in the reading room — malpractice litigation. He highlighted:
- Probability of being named in a malpractice suit is high, on the order of 60–90% throughout your career.
- Radiology expert witnesses should avoid hindsight bias; don't bias yourself by looking at the outcome.
- CYA ... no, not what you're thinking. "Can You Articulate?" Can you explain the reasoning behind your decision making?
- Patients are the first and obvious victims, but physicians are also wounded by medical error. The litigation process can be tolling, and we should talk to each other about it.
@FatimaElahi21 and @amykpatel gave an inspiring #radvocacy update. Want to learn where can you start as a trainee #radvocate? Top ways include the following suggestions:
- Participate in Legislative Calls-to-Action – see the most recent.
- Check out the new radiologyadvocacy.org!
- Follow @ACRRAN to keep up on Radvocacy Journal Clubs and other educational events throughout the year.
- Become a RAN Advocacy Leader for your residency program.
- #FutureRadRes can contact @DekanyVictoria and @GavYua to join the pre-Rad RAN.
- Jump into the RAN RADVOCATE Leader Certificate Program.
- Sign up for Advocacy In Action E-News.
- Attend the next Annual RAN Meeting and Hill Day at #ACR2024.
- Apply for the Rutherford-Lavanty Fellowship in Government Relations —Application opens late summer to early fall!
- Download the ACR Advocacy App on App Store or Google Play for more info!
@fjlexa taught us why strong negotiating skills are non-negotiable! Negotiation doesn't just happen when you're going to sign a contract, you're negotiating all the time — probably without even realizing it! Learn more in his @JACRJournal article with Dr. Jonathan Berlin.
Practice types panel moderated by @ACRRFS past president @NatashaMongaMD included @docjuanb, @ShinkeiMD, @DrChrisMcAdams and @TajKatt who shared the similarities and differences between a wide array of practice types across the country, including teleradiology, private practice, academics and locums!
We voted in our new 2024–2025 @ACRRFS Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Member-in-Training ISC Representatives!
We worked hard during the #ACR2023 Council session and shared some laughs during the Moreton Lecture, featuring the one and only @DGlauomflecken, who even stopped by our @ACRRFS #MedStudent #FutureRadRes luncheon and shared a few more wise words: get comfortable with saying “I don’t know” when you don’t know and be on time. “If you can go through your career in medicine and always be on time, you’re halfway to a Nobel prize.”
#ACR2023 wrapped up with #ACRHillDay2023, where #radvocates lobbied on Capitol Hill in support of mitigating Medicare physician cuts, ensuring the No Surprises Act is implemented as intended, to protect patients without being prohibitively burdensome for radiologists and to ask for congressional support in reviving legislature that would help implement the consultation of appropriate use criteria for advanced imaging. @RadocNJ won the annual ACR Hill Day Photo Contest with this photo featuring #FutureRadRes @tishardana
Whether you missed #ACR2023 or are just wishing it hadn’t ended so soon, @yashaguptamd summarized some awesome opportunities to stay involved year round!
- Fill out the volunteer form for an ACR RFS subcommittee.
- Volunteer for an ACR committee or commission.
- Plan to run for an ACR RFS Executive Committee position for 2024–2025.
- Run for one of three spots on the ACR RFS Nominating Committee or as an Intersociety Representative for 2024–2025.
- Stay engaged with us on social media by following us on Twitter and tagging @ACRRFS to let us know about your achievements, questions and issues that you want us to talk about!
- Reach out to get involved with your state @RadiologyACR chapter! Check out this infographic for ways to make the most of it!
- Let us know if you have a topic you’d like to write about for the ACR RFS E-News or a Voice of Radiology blog post.
- Consider applying to one of our many ACR trainee fellowships.
#ACR2023 was a whirlwind! I learned, laughed, tweeted, mentored, advocated, danced, dined, reunited with old friends, made new connections myself and helped connect others.
Let’s keep this momentum rolling! Hope to see you at #ACR2024!