AFIP Sessions Offer Unique Radiology Training Experience for Residents
In recent years, the ACR has re-emphasized addressing the unique needs of residents. However, one of the College's most important resident outreach tools has gone virtually unnoticed, except by the residents who attend the ACR's outstanding 2-day sessions at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.
What began in 1997 as a resident education day in mammography has evolved over the years into 5 two-day training sessions each year for residents attending the AFIP Department of Radiologic Pathology's 6-week course. The first day of the session focuses on the critical issue of breast imaging. Under the leadership of ACR Fellow D. David Dershaw, MD, the 7 volunteer faculty members take turns presenting a series of course topics to the residents. The second day of the course deals with the latest developments in cardiovascular imaging. Lawrence M. Boxt, MD, chair of the cardiovascular imaging day, along with Murray G. Baron, MD, and Martin J. Lipton, MD, provide an overview of cardiac imaging.
"The quality of the people who donate their time to this project is remarkable," noted Dr Dershaw, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "They take multiple days away from their practice each year to help train these residents without fanfare or recognition."
One of the unique features of the breast imaging day is the inclusion of an audience response system that provides the attending residents the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills as they evaluate images from actual clinical cases. ACR officials say the interactive system not only challenges the residents, but provides them with the opportunity to experience first-hand the skills needed for quality breast imaging.
An Opportunity to Get to Know the ACR
Beyond the education experience, the AFIP sessions provide the College with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to the residents the benefits of ACR membership. As residents, they are considered ACR members and have access to the extensive benefits and opportunities the College offers. However, many residents do not realize how much networking at the ACR can mean to their professional and personal lives after residency.
In addition to the breast and cardiovascular imaging presentations, various College departments take turns presenting key elements of the benefits of ACR membership to the residents, offering an insider's perspective on ACR membership after residency is complete.
During the last few years, attendees also have been treated to a recorded presentation by ACR Board of Directors Chair James P. Borgstede, MD, extolling the benefits of ACR membership and emphasizing the professional support the College offers residents, both during their residency and later in their professional career. To reflect recent changes in ACR programs and services, a new recorded message is being prepared that will include testimonials from many radiology residents on what the ACR has meant to them and their careers.
The AFIP Will Continue
Recently, there were concerns about the future of the AFIP sessions as the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) discussed shutting down many of the nation's military facilities as a cost-cutting measure. Originally, the BRAC had included AFIP on its targeted facility list, keeping only the institute's museum and repository. However, due in large part to the advocacy efforts of the College, the commission voted to retain the AFIP in its entirety. This vote paves the way for the retention of the valuable ACR Resident Education Days in Breast and Cardiovascular Imaging, as well as the Registry of Radiologic Pathology and the Radiologic Pathology Training Programs.
"AFIP is a one-of-a-kind institution that is vital to the military and to the nation," Dr Borgstede said. "The collective knowledge and expertise it provides is crucial for reach-back support of military medicine worldwide and would have been impossible to duplicate through civilian collaboration."
While Walter Reed remained on the list of facility closures, AFIP will continue at a new location. Army radiology has expressed its commitment to the preservation and continuity of the Radiologic-Pathologic 6-week course. The College will continue to update its members with information as it becomes available. Visit the ACR's Web site (www.acr.org) or www.radpath.org regularly for the latest information on the AFIP program.