Conferences
Teaching Clinical Radiology
Teaching conferences represent a major component of the residency curriculum. The centerpiece of resident teaching is the daily noon conference (which is held for all residents beginning in August and which continues until the following June). There are two 45-minute teaching conferences every day. Radiology Grand Rounds is held on Wednesdays 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The noon conferences are designed entirely to teach residents. A monthly schedule assigns faculty from the various radiologic subspecialties to give the noon conferences. The primary format is case presentation and problem solving. Conferences are designed to teach residents the proper approach to image interpretation, pattern recognition, and formulation of appropriate differential diagnoses. Residents are also expected to make appropriate management recommendations. Residents participate by discussing unknown cases before their peers with the guidance of the assigned faculty member. In addition to radiologic features, clinical, laboratory, and pathologic manifestations of diseases are discussed. On occasion, faculty members may give didactic lectures instead of case presentation conferences. This alteration is made at the discretion of the assigned faculty member.
Four series of conferences are provided for residents at a specific level of training.
- Introductory noon conference lectures are given to first year residents during the summer, during which time these beginning residents receive a group of lectures on the basic organization of the plain film rotations in chest, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, and nuclear radiology. Residents are also taught how to approach radiographic images obtained in each of these areas, the appearance of normal anatomy, and basic pathology is present, as well.
- First year residents also receive a series of conferences at 5 pm during January and February. These afternoon conferences specifically address imaging of the acutely ill patient and are provided in preparation for the ER and Nightfloat rotations.
- Second year residents receive a series of conferences at 5 pm during January and February in preparation for taking senior call. These lectures focus on cross sectional imaging of the acutely ill patients.
- Finally, senior board review conferences are presented by faculty members daily to fourth year residents from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. and from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in March, April, and May. Noon conferences during these months also largely focus on oral board review topics and preparation, but are inclusive of residents from all years in the program.
Teaching of Non-Interpretive Skills
Conferences are provided for all residents at noon on a monthly basis (from September through May) to instruct the residents on aspects of the practice of Diagnostic Radiology other than image interpretation. The first series, entitled "Beyond Imaging", is given biannually. Topics in the series may include research in radiology, job seeking and contract negotiation, business aspects of radiology, critical thinking, information technology, ethics, professional radiologic organizations, ACR standards and appropriateness criteria, service orientation and interpersonal skills, and radiation biology.
Another conference series is designed to expose residents to both basic science and clinical research in radiology. Most topics are taught by both a basic research scientist and a radiologist.
In addition, formal journal club conferences focus on details of research techniques and the background needed to design and implement research projects, as well as discussions on critically interpreting the medical literature.
Monthly Resident Meetings
Residents participate in an additional noontime activity on a regular basis: the monthly resident meeting. These meetings, which are held in lieu of a noon teaching conference, serve as an opportunity for residents to exchange ideas/concerns with the Residency Training Program Director and/or the Associate Director. Discussions cover many different issues, including the radiology residency-training program at the University of Michigan and topics that pertain to radiology residents and physicians across the country. These are an extremely valuable and vital component of residency training. Discussed issues range from on-call frustrations and criticisms of clinical rotations to planning social events. Feedback on the residency program, from residents, is constantly solicited. Some of the most successful and beneficial changes in the organization of our residency program have resulted from suggestions made by residents.
Other Conferences
Residents are expected to attend each of the Radiology Grand Rounds lectures, held on Wednesdays from 5-6 pm. These one-hour sessions are designed for attendance by the entire radiology department and interested clinicians from other services. Topics vary and include research presentations, general didactic lectures, debates on cutting edge radiology controversies, and resident presentations. Each resident is responsible for a 15-20 minute presentation during Radiology Grand Rounds during his or her third year. Presentations may consist of discussion of a research project, review of a disease entity, or another radiology topic of interest. The resident Grand Rounds presentations are prepared under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Residents in their late first and early second year are expected to attend the annually presented summer conferences in radiology physics. These 90 minute conferences are usually held in June, July and August at noon and are primarily tailored for second year residents, or any other residents, who will be taking the written physics component of the American Board of Radiology Examination the following September. Additionally, late first-early second year residents are expected to attend a separate course in nuclear radiology physics held from May through July. This course consists of 35 1-hour lectures, presented in the morning 7:30 - 8:30 am.
Residents are encouraged to attend the four-week course in Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation offered by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. The majority of residents attend this course during their third year.
Residents are encouraged to attend journal clubs, which are held during noon conference quarterly on general topics, and which are held monthly on subspecialty topics in Breast Imaging and Vascular Interventional Radiology.
Finally, most radiologic subspecialty services have weekly or biweekly morning subspecialty conferences. These conferences are held for residents, fellows, and faculty members. Resident attendance is expected at these conferences when the resident is rotating on that service. Residents are encouraged to attend these conferences when rotating on other services. Residents often participate integrally in preparation of the subspecialty conferences. They are frequently responsible for accumulating interesting cases, for reading about the disease entities they have encountered, for communicating their knowledge to all conference attendees, and for preparing an electronic presentation of these cases. Conference preparation, therefore, usually involves learning clinical radiology, pathology, literature review, familiarization with the hospital information system, and creation of electronic presentations. By preparing and presenting these conferences, all residents become facile in utilization of electronic media and public speaking.
