Radiological Program Research Articles

Gender disparity in academic advancement: exploring differences among adult and pediatric radiologists.

Gender imbalance in research output and academic rank in academic radiology is well-documented and long-standing. Less is known regarding this imbalance among pediatric radiologists. To characterize gender differences for academic rank and scholarly productivity of pediatric radiologists relative to adult radiologists. During summer 2021, faculty data for the top 10 U.S. News & World Report ranked adult radiology programs and the top 12 largest pediatric hospital radiology departments were collected. Information regarding self-reported gender, age, years of practice and academic rank was accessed from institutional websites and public provider databases. The h-index and the number of publications were acquired via Scopus. Group comparisons were performed using Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests. Three hundred and sixty-four (160 women) pediatric and 1,170 (468 women) adult radiologists were included. Compared to adult radiologists, there were significantly fewer pediatric radiologists in advanced ranks (associate or full professor) (P = 0.024), driven by differences between male (P = 0.033) but not female radiologists (P = 0.67).Among pediatric radiologists, there was no significant difference in years in practice (P = 0.29) between males and females. There also was no significant difference in academic rank by gender (P = 0.37), different from adult radiology where men outnumber women in advanced ranks (P < 0.001). Male pediatric radiologists displayed higher academic productivity (h-index: 9.0 vs. 7.0; P = 0.01 and number of publications: 31 vs. 18; P = 0.003) than their female colleagues. Academic pediatric radiology seems to have more equitable academic advancement than academic adult radiology. Despite similar time in the workforce, academic output among female pediatric radiologists lags that of their male colleagues.

Paint Me a Picture: Adding Patient Imaging Experiences and Radiology to a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship.

Purpose: Despite the increasing prevalence of Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (LICs), there is a paucity of published LIC models which directly integrate radiology into longitudinal clinical experiences, instead favoring protected time for radiology didactics or a more traditional block rotation (BR). 1–3 Such models miss the opportunity to better capture longitudinal clinical and professional relationships and the integration of system-based care which defines LICs. We sought to explore if the core constructs of LICs could be expanded to incorporate radiology learning objectives in a pilot LIC Radiology program. Approach: As a pilot program, LIC students were encouraged to identify patients during their clinical experiences (clinics, urgent care, emergency department, or inpatient immersion) in which radiology examinations were ordered and accompany the patient to the radiology studies/procedures. Students were required to meet individually with the radiologist to review the clinical indications and imaging findings of the examination for 25 patients for the pilot year. Student participation was tracked via Qualtrics surveys. Students were given access to, and expected to asynchronously review, radiology didactic material used in parallel by the BR student clerkship. Radiology faculty champions were identified in each imaging subspecialty followed by LIC and pilot faculty development with a requirement for student feedback evaluations via Qualtrics surveys. Outcomes: Two hundred thirty-seven unique radiology encounters were logged by the 9 LIC students (mean = 26.33 encounters per student, maximum = 33 encounters by one student). Eight out of nine reached the target of 25 radiology encounters, and 1/9 had 24 encounters. One hundred percent of students completed at least 2 encounters with radiographs, CT scans, and MRI examinations; 88.9% (8/9) students completed at least 1 encounter with ultrasound. There was variable exposure to nuclear medicine (66.7%, 6/9) and interventional radiology (22.2%, 2/9). Modalities encountered were radiographs (31.7%, 75/237), CT scan (24.9%, 59/237), MRI (24.1%, 57/237), ultrasound (9.3%, 22/237), nuclear medicine (8.4%, 20/237), and interventional radiology (1.7%, 4/237). Twelve unique radiology faculty completed 84 feedback evaluations (mean 9.3/student). According to faculty evaluators, 100% of the students were prepared for the interaction and were at (60.7%, 51) or above (39.3%, 33) the expected level of training. Discussion: Our data suggests that incorporating a radiology curriculum into an LIC by leveraging established LIC patients has merit and is effective. While students were not required to have a specific modality distribution during the pilot year, students reviewed multiple imaging modalities for patients with whom they had an established relationship. The Association of University Radiologists recommended learning objectives for a core radiology rotation include a focus on skills associated with the working dynamic of radiology as a consultative service, such as “compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of different radiology modalities including: plain film, CT, US, MR, nuclear medicine” and “describe the procedure for ordering a radiologic exam at your institution.” 4 Our findings suggest that directly integrating radiology into the patient-centered framework of an LIC offers an opportunity to meet these learning objectives with results comparable to traditional BR models. Given the positive feedback and early success of the pilot, the course has subsequently been expanded from 2 to 4 credits and students must now reach an encounter threshold of 40. Ongoing assessment of this model will include future logistics, student satisfaction and performance, and faculty feedback to track achievement of learning objectives. Significance: Directly integrating radiology as a part of LIC can meet radiology learning objectives while preserving a diverse experience and solidifying the LIC construct. This model could be applicable at other institutions to further patient-centered education within an LIC framework and could conceivably replace models which fall beyond LIC constructs. Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Dr. Deborah Engle for supporting development of assessment strategies in longitudinal integrated clerkships. The authors also wish to thank Melissa Graham who helped with survey development, distribution, and collection.

Current Perception of Diversity in Academic Radiology: A Mixed Methods Study of Radiology Program Directors

To assess the perceived state of diversity in Radiology Residency Programs in the United States and to evaluate the level of acceptance for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. An electronic survey was conducted of the Radiology Residency Programs in the United States in December 2021 and January 2022. Respondents were recruited by email sent to the members of the Association of University Radiologists who were Radiology Residency Program Directors. Quantitative and Qualitative analyses were performed. Of the 198 emails sent out to the Radiology Program Directors, 53 completed surveys were returned (response rate of 27%). Although some progress has been made in increasing the number of women and Asians in Academic Radiology, there is persisting imbalance of the numbers of African American and Latinx radiologists which comprise far less than 25% of the physician workforce. Nearly half of the respondents reported having a Vice Chair of DEI. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis. Most respondents agreed that diversity should be considered when recruiting faculty and residents. Many noted a strong commitment to DEI but they felt there was room for improvement in formalizing efforts to aid in recruitment of underrepresented minorities. Diversity education was more likely mandatory for residents and optional for faculty. Academic Radiology programs are recognizing the value of internal DEI leadership roles. Radiologists are implementing DEI initiatives and making intentional changes in the recruitment of diverse radiologists. More concerted efforts are needed to increase the low numbers of African American and Latinx radiologists. Effective evaluation metrics for various DEI programs are needed to assess how successful these endeavors are in creating lasting changes.

Virtual Radiology Fellowship Recruitment: Benefits, Limitations, and Future Directions

Virtual Radiology Fellowship Recruitment: Benefits, Limitations, and Future Directions

Using an Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dashboard to Accelerate Change in Academic Radiology Departments

Despite widespread interest in creating a more equitable and inclusive culture, a lack of workforce diversity persists in Radiology, in part due to a lack of universal and longitudinal metrics across institutions. In an attempt to establish benchmarks, a subset of the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee volunteered to design a DEI dashboard as a potential tool for academic radiology programs to use to document and track their progress. This freely-available, modular dashboard includes suggested (plus optional department-defined) DEI activities/parameters and suggested assessment criteria across three domains: faculty, residents & fellows, and medical students; it can be completed, in whole or in part, by departmental leaders annually. The suggested metrics and their associated rubrics were derived from the collective experiences of the five working group members, all of whom are chairs of academic radiology departments. The resulting dashboard was unanimously approved by the remaining 14 DEI committee members and endorsed by the SCARD board of directors.

Critical Comparison of the Quality and Content of Integrated Vascular Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, and Interventional Radiology Residency Training Program Websites: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundWith the move to virtual interviewing, residency websites are an important recruitment resource, introducing applicants to programs across the country and allowing for comparison. Recruitment is highly competitive from a common potential pool between vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and interventional radiology with the ratio of applicants to positions being highest in interventional radiology, followed by thoracic surgery and lastly vascular surgery, as reported by the National Resident Matching Program.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the accessibility and availability of online content for those integrated residency programs.MethodsA list of accredited vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and interventional radiology residencies was obtained from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) database. Program websites were evaluated by trained independent reviewers (n=2) for content items pertaining to program recruitment and education (scored absent or present). Statistical analysis was performed in R software.ResultsOf ACGME-accredited programs, 56 of 61 (92%) vascular surgery, 27 of 27 (100%) thoracic surgery, and 74 of 85 (87%) interventional radiology programs had functional websites (P=.12). Vascular surgery websites contained a median of 26 (IQR 20-32) content items, thoracic surgery websites contained a median of 27 (IQR 21-32) content items, and interventional radiology websites contained a median of 23 (IQR 18-27) content items. Two content items considered highly influential to applicant program decisions are procedural experience and faculty mentorship, which were reported at 32% (18/56) and 11% (6/56) for vascular surgery, 19% (5/27) and 11% (3/27) for thoracic surgery, and 50% (37/74) and 15% (11/74) for interventional radiology (P=.008 and P=.75), respectively. Key deficits were work hours, debt management, and curriculum for interventional radiology; resident profiles, sample contracts, and research interests in vascular surgery; and operative experiences and the program director’s contact and message for thoracic surgery. Interventional radiology deficits were work hours, and thoracic surgery deficits were procedural experience. Both interventional radiology and thoracic surgery websites lacked information on evaluation criteria and faculty mentorship.ConclusionsThis study has uncovered key differences in the availability of online content for residencies recruiting from the same pool of applicants. Thoracic surgery has the most information, followed by vascular surgery, with interventional radiology reporting the least content. In the era of virtual interviewing from the same potential pool of applicants, programs should review and revise their web presence with the aim to increase the availability of online content to attract valuable candidates.

New England Women in Radiology (NEWR) Invited Lectureship Series: A Novel Program to Advance the Careers of Junior Female Faculty in Academic Radiology

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the New England Women in Radiology (NEWR) program, a new program aimed to generate speaking and networking opportunities for junior women radiologists in New England, by providing opportunities to speak at other academic institutions in the region. A total of 12 academic radiology departments and 20 faculty members at various New England institutions participated in the program during its first year. An institutional survey was sent to all participating institutions and a faculty survey was sent to all participating faculty to assess their experience with the program. Experience was measured using a Likert scale. A word cloud was used to visualize common themes in free response survey questions. Hundred percent of participating institutions and 67% of participating faculty responded to the corresponding surveys. Hundred percent of responding faculty indicated that they would participate in the program again. Ninety-two percent of faculty said that they would recommend the program to a colleague. Fifty-eight percent found the networking opportunity valuable; while 83% believed that participation in the NEWR program would help them achieve a promotion. Hundred percent of the participating institutions who completed the survey strongly agreed that 1) the program was easy to administer, 2) participating in the program was valuable to their educational mission, and 3) participating in the program benefited the promotion of junior women faculty in their department. Initial experience with the NEWR program in its first year was positive amongst both faculty and institutional participants. To further help female junior faculty advance their careers in academia, the NEWR program could be adapted to other geographical locations to incorporate a greater number of institutions and faculty.

Assessment of US Radiology Residency Program Websites in the COVID-19 Era.

ObjectiveTo provide an updated evaluation of radiology residency program websites in light of virtual interviewing during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage programs to improve the quality of their online website presence.MethodsWe evaluated the websites of 197 US radiology residency programs between November and December 2021 for the presence or absence of 30 metrics. The metrics chosen are those considered important by applicants when choosing a program and have been used in other similar papers.ResultsOf the 197 programs, 192 (97.5%) had working websites. The average radiology residency website had 16 of 30 (54%) metrics listed on their websites. Five programs did not have accessible websites and were not included in the analysis. The most comprehensive website had 29 of 30 (97%) of metrics listed and the least comprehensive website had 2 of 30 (7%). There is a statistically significant difference in website comprehensiveness between top 20 and non–top 20 radiology program websites.ConclusionAlthough radiology residency program websites have generally become more comprehensive over time, there is still room for improvement, especially in times of virtual interviews when residency applicants are becoming more and more reliant on program websites to gain essential information about a program. Some key areas to include are diversity and inclusion initiatives, resident wellness, applicant information, program benefits, and showcase of people in the program.

Abstract No. 286 Variance of information standardization between integrated interventional radiology and neurosurgery residency program websites

The residency match process has changed dramatically with the advent of virtual interviews. Residency websites have played a greater role in informing student applicants of the program. The aim of this study is to compare the content and standardization of Integrated interventional radiology (IR) program websites with those of neurosurgery (NS), a longer-standing specialty.

Promoting Progress and Learning from Mistakes: Results of a Radiology Department LGBTQ Inclusion Audit

As radiology programs seek to recruit and retain diverse and competitive applicants, it is important to critically review existing department policies to ensure they meet the needs of their residents. To evaluate a radiology program's inclusivity measures, an interdepartmental committee developed an "LGBTQ inclusion index" and performed an LGBTQ inclusion audit to identify gaps in policy and to craft proposals for administrative review. An LGBTQ inclusion index was compiled through the collaboration of an interdisciplinary committee of residents, faculty, institutional and community representatives. Five inclusion milestones were identified relating to department policy, department facilities, institutional culture, department culture, and community engagement. Milestones were scored as 0, for milestone not at all met, 1, for milestone partially met, and 2, for milestone completely met, with a total score of 10. Program scores were calculated for the 2018-2021 academic years. The radiology program LGBTQ inclusion index score increased over the course of the study period. The program LGBTQ inclusion index score was 4 of 10 in 2018 and 2019, but after formation of an LGBTQ inclusion task force by the diversity and inclusion committee, increased to 7 of 10 in 2020. The LGBTQ inclusion audit identified several areas that required improvement and the committee drafted proposals to address these gaps. By 2021, the program scored 9 of 10 on the inclusion index. Promoting an inclusive and affirming radiology department is an important step to providing culturally competent healthcare and mitigating health disparities. An LGBTQ inclusion audit and a robust department diversity committee can help to identify and address gaps in policy, facilities, and culture.

Learning from errors: Implementation of a resident-oriented radiology morbidity and mortality conference as an educational tool

PurposeOur diagnostic radiology (DR) program lacked a formalized, structured process for residents to learn from errors. Prior DR residency Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) survey results additionally demonstrated opportunity for improvement in resident evaluation, resources, and patient safety/teamwork. Our project's purpose was to implement and evaluate a new resident-oriented radiology morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference to enhance resident education. MethodsAll DR residents (n = 48) were surveyed regarding a new didactic M&M consisting of quarterly resident-led and faculty-moderated M&Ms. Cases for potential review were collected and stored in a REDCap database via an anonymous survey, from which resident-selected faculty curators would select 4–6 for presentation. Residents presented these cases and the group discussed applicable improvements. An anonymous survey of residents followed each conference. Relevant questions from ACGME survey data were extracted from the two years preceding the didactic M&M and the pilot year. ResultsBefore implementation, 86% of responding residents (n = 29; 60% of resident complement) supported the program, 90% expressed willingness to share their own mistakes, and 79% preferred faculty involvement. Respondents favored careful selection of faculty to promote education. At one year, 100% of respondents (n = 17; 35% of resident complement) approved of adding the didactic M&M and endorsed program continuance. All respondents expressed a willingness to share their own mistakes. There was also coincident improvement in ACGME survey data in the domains of evaluation, resources, and patient safety/teamwork. ConclusionWe designed and implemented a resident-oriented M&M conference that resulted in increased resident confidence and impacted ACGME survey results in evaluation, resources, and patient safety/teamwork. PrecisImplementation of a structured, resident-oriented radiology M&M conference can increase resident confidence and impact ACGME survey results in the domains of evaluation, resources, and patient safety/teamwork.

Five Years Later: Impact of a Focused Women in Radiology Program.

Women are underrepresented in radiology and experience barriers to professional growth that can affect job satisfaction and career advancement. The authors hypothesized that a structured, intentional Women in Radiology (WiR) program would increase women faculty members' perceptions of workplace gender equity, satisfaction with pace of professional advancement, interest in research and teaching, and perceptions of work-life balance and mentorship opportunities. Components and structure of a sustainable WiR program are described in detail. Baseline and summative 5-year surveys of women faculty members in the department were distributed. The primary outcome measure was perception of equitable access to professional development opportunities for women. The authors also assessed the impact of the WiR program on creating a departmental culture shift to improve career advancement for women. Secondary outcomes included WiR's impact on women's satisfaction with pace of professional advancement, mentorship opportunities, work-life balance, and interest in research and teaching. Compared with 5 years prior, more women faculty members now believe that there is equitable access to career advancement opportunities and that the formal WiR program has contributed to a positive culture shift in the department. Significant gains in women faculty members' satisfaction with pace of their professional advancement were demonstrated. During the study period, more women developed interest in teaching and research, served as mentors, and perceived improvements in work-life balance compared with baseline. A structured, intentional WiR program can contribute to improved workplace gender equity, career satisfaction for women, and a positive departmental culture shift to support the needs of women in radiology.

National Virtual Visiting Professorship in Breast Imaging.

Originally established to disseminate information about medical progress and innovation [1], the educational value of the visiting professorship has come into question with ready availability of “ahead of print” medical journal publications and other high-quality online educational resources. Increasing clinical workloads and other demands on physicians’ time and the financial resources needed to host a visiting professor have resulted in a decrease in popularity of these programs [2,3]. A 2018 survey of academic radiology programs demonstrated only a handful of visiting radiology professors are invited per year at institutions that continue this tradition [3].

Presentation at the Canadian Association of Radiologists Annual General Meeting Is Associated With Higher Likelihood of Publication of Canadian Radiology Resident Research Day Presentations.

Objective: Determine how many radiology resident research day projects are presented at the Canadian Association of Radiologists Annual Scientific Meeting (CAR ASM) and if presentation at the CAR ASM is associated with increased rates of publication. Methods: A database of radiology resident presentations from 2012 to 2017 research days at seven Canadian radiology programs was utilized. Each presenting resident was searched for in 2011-2019 CAR ASM books of abstracts to identify all CAR ASM presentations both related to and separate from their research day projects. These presentations were matched with resident research day presentations and their publication status. Descriptive statistical analysis and calculation of relative risk (RR) between publication of research day projects and presentation at CAR was performed. Results: 208 residents presented 288 projects at internal research days. 93 of the 208 residents had a total of 195 presentations at CAR (mean .94 +/- 1.91 SD). 36 of the 288 (13%) research day projects were presented at a CAR ASM, of which 18/36 (50%) were published. 83 of the 252 (32%) research day projects not presented at CAR were published. CAR ASM presentation of a research day project was associated with an increased rate of publication (RR 1.537 P=.0396). There was no significant association between research day project publication and unrelated CAR ASM presentations (P=.275). Most research day projects both presented at CAR ASM and published (56%) were in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal. Conclusion: CAR ASM presentation of research day projects is associated with an increased rate of publication.

Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Trainee Safety, Education, and Wellness: Challenges Experienced and Proposed Solutions for the Future.

Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Trainee Safety, Education, and Wellness: Challenges Experienced and Proposed Solutions for the Future.

Moving Towards Equity, Wellness, and Environmental Sustainability: Arguments for Virtual Radiology Residency Recruitment and Strategies for Application Control

In May 2020, a special work group of the Coalition for Physician Accountability published its recommendation that all graduate medical education (GME) programs conduct residency interviews virtually for the 2020–2021 cycle ( 1 Coalition for physician accountability. final report and recommendations for medical education institutions of LCME-accredited, US osteopathic, and Non-US medical school applicants. 2020. Accessed at: November 28, 2021. Accessed from: https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-05/covid19_Final_Recommendations_05112020 Google Scholar ). The announcement gave radiology programs five months to develop their plans for large-scale remote interviewing, allowing little time to consider the downstream effects of virtual interviewing on applicants, and programs.

Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Residency Selection Process: A Survey of Radiology Residency Programs in the US

Rationale and ObjectivesVirtual residency interviews have become crucial in maintaining CDC-recommended precautionary measures throughout the ongoing COVID-era. However, scant literature exists regarding the direct impact the pandemic has had on the radiology program selection process, including preferred modalities of residency interviews and social media utilization. This survey aimed to understand how radiology programs adapted to changes in the 2020–2021 virtual application cycle.Materials and MethodsA 32-question survey was distributed to 194 residency programs between July and August of 2021. Data were analyzed primarily by using descriptive statistics and Paired Student's T-testing.ResultsA total of 31 programs completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 16%. When queried about the perceived success of virtual interviews during the 2020–2021 application cycle, 21 programs (68%) said the new interview format was very successful. Twenty-seven of the programs (87%) believed they were able to adequately gauge applicants through virtual interviews. However, when surveyed about personal preferences for interviews, the responses were more evenly distributed between virtual (11/31, 35%) and in-person (14/31, 45%). Pre-COVID, the top three criteria programs used to rank candidates were USMLE Step 1 score (20/31, 65%), letters of recommendation (17/31, 55%), and MSPE (12/31, 39%). Within the virtual, COVID-19 era, these criteria remained statistically unchanged (p = 0.22): USMLE Step 1 score (21/31, 68%), letters of recommendation (17/31, 55%), and MSPE (14/31, 45%). About half of programs who had not previously utilized social media (12 of 23, 52%) created accounts, mostly via Twitter or Instagram.ConclusionThe primary findings indicate that programs perceived success with virtually interviewing and ranking applicants, the criteria to rank applicants remain unchanged despite the virtual environment, and programs’ social media utilization increased.

Increasing Applicant Engagement During the 2020-2021 Virtual Residency Interview Cycle and Beyond: The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Radiology Residency Video Project

To explore the effectiveness of the video medium and YouTube platform in conveying residency program and community information to prospective applicants during the 2020-2021 virtual residency interview cycle. To garner insights on the virtual-only residency interview experience and our video-centered approach through survey data collected from interviewing candidates for potential implementation in future application cycles. 13 custom content videos were produced highlighting our radiology residency program and uploaded onto a newly created YouTube channel and the institutional website during the late summer through fall of the 2020-2021 residency interview cycle. Feedback on the videos was generated using YouTube analytics and an anonymous 10-question survey sent to interviewing candidates. As of September 29, 2021, the date when residency programs could begin reviewing ERAS applications for the 2021-2022 cycle, the videos amassed 4487 views with over 149 hours' worth of material viewed. 57 of 114 interviewed candidates responded to the survey. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with 84% of respondents agreeing that the videos positively influenced their decision to apply to our program, 77% of respondents judging our video-based format to be overall more effective in delivering residency program information than text-based media (website, email etc.), and 86% feeling adequately informed about the program through the virtual interview process and provided electronic resources. 79% of respondents felt our videos to be more informative than the resources from other radiology programs encountered during the interviewing cycle. Finally, a majority 72% of respondents are open to virtual interviewing in the future. Our program's video-centered approach was one of many creative media solutions employed by residency programs across the nation to help make virtual interviewing an adequate replacement to the traditional in-person interviewing experience. While further investigation is needed to determine which methods communicate residency program information best in the virtual setting, our initial experience and data show the video-centered approach to be overwhelmingly positive with applicants and at a minimum, we've established a baseline process and aesthetic for others to improve upon.

Analyzing the Landscape of the 2021 Virtual Match: A Nationwide Survey of Radiology Programs’ Stakeholders

We aimed to provide insights into the adaptive strategies, benefits, and challenges faced by the radiology programs during the 2021 residency virtual Match. Furthermore, we explored the potential impacts of related topics, such as diversity and social media use on the Match process and outcomes. A cross-sectional survey of 31 questions was designed and distributed via e-mails to individuals involved radiology programs match process during the 2021 Match. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results of most questions. Two questions comparing the changes in factors influencing the selection of applicants on a Likert scale of 1-5 were analyzed using paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test where p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Responses from 125 participants were analyzed. The following factors carried less weight in evaluating applicants during 2021 Match: away rotations (p < 0.01), no failed attempts in USMLE Step 1/CK (p < 0.01), grades in radiology clerkship (p < 0.04), and class rank/quartile (p < 0.04), while personal statements were more important (p < 0.03). Out of the 125 respondents, 80 (64%) and 58 (47%) strongly or somewhat agree on the effectiveness of virtual interviews in gauging applicants' candidacy and showing their programs' advantages, respectively. Advantages of virtual interviews included decreased cost, time flexibility, less faculty burden, and an increased number of offered interviews according to 81% (101/125), 46% (58/125), 40%, (50/125), and 34% (43/125), respectively. The most helpful platforms that showcased program advantages were program websites followed by Twitter and Instagram. Most radiology programs were able to adjust to the virtual interview process, and the majority agree on their effectiveness citing many benefits. However, there were mixed opinions if it could be sustained in future cycles.

Gender of Department Chair and Paid Parental Leave Benefits in Academic Radiology Residency Programs

Residency training often overlaps with prime childbearing years, yet variability in availability and duration of parental leave in residency can complicate the decision to become parents. Gender disparities in attitudes towards parenthood in residency is well recognized, with females generally reporting more concerns surrounding prolonged training, hindrance of future career plans, and negative perception from peers. However, gender of the department chair has not yet been examined as a factor influencing parental leave policies for residents in Radiology. The gender of the department chair and parental leave policies for residents in 209 ACGME accredited diagnostic radiology programs across the United States were procured from their websites. These programs were stratified into 6 geographical regions to identify regional differences. Chi-squared analyses were used to compare availability of paid parental benefits with the gender of department chairs. Seventy-seven percent of diagnostic radiology program department chairs were male. 34 of 49 programs (69%) with female department chairs advertised paid parental benefits, compared to 61 of 160 programs (38%) chaired by males (P < 0.001). When stratified by region, this gender difference remained statistically significant in the mid-Atlantic and New England. Female gender of the department chair was associated with the increased availability of paid parental leave benefits for residents, yet females hold fewer academic leadership positions than males. Future discussions regarding parental leave policies for residents will have to consider the unique challenges in residency such as length of training and burden on coresidents.