ACR chapters identify, mentor, and support FACR-eligible members throughout the application process when seeking to become ACR Fellows.
By Meghan Edwards, freelance writer for the ACR Bulletin
Each spring, new ACR Fellows don their caps and gowns for the convocation ceremony during the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The ballroom is a flurry of excitement as the procession of New Fellows continues down the aisles. With award acceptance ono the stage, their families, friends and colleagues clap and celebrate this professional milestone. The Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR) credential is one of the highest honors that the College bestows. For minimum eligibility for this membership award, members must have ten or more cumulative post-training ACR membership years and have demonstrated extraordinary achievements, in contributions to organized medicine, diagnostic and interventional radiology, medical physics, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine, research and/or teaching. ACR Fellows have a sense of accomplishment in receiving this highly distinguished membership award from their peers.
Who can offer support to begin the FACR application process? Chapter leaders serve as mentors for application readiness and identify members who are currently meeting the FACR Nomination Criteria. The chapter leaders serve as the first application reviewers of submitted FACR applications. From there, chapter-approved applications are reviewed by the ACR Committee on Fellowship Credentials (CFC) with CFC nominations presented to the Board of Chancellors for final approval.
Chapters contribute so much more than simply reviewing applications and recommending members for this membership award, however. Their support extends to identifying and encouraging early career candidates, promoting local outreach to eligible members across all career stages, and providing one-on-one support.
Starting the Process
Each January, chapters can access the ACR Chapter Portal to review a list of their members who meet minimum eligibility to apply for FACR. Next, chapter leaders (including fellowship chairs) use the eligibility lists to identify members whose professional background reflects radiology achievements beyond workplace responsibilities, such as chapter leadership roles, committee participation, published works or involvement in advocacy. Reviewing an eligible member’s CV is a great first step for the chapter leader to assess if the member’s career is currently in scope to begin a successful FACR application.
Ellen L. Wolf, MD, FACR, professor of radiology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, and fellowship chair of the New York State Radiological Society (NYSRS), not only reaches out to members. She also distributes the list to the NYSRS board of directors, the members of the NYSRS fellowship committee, and prominent members of various local medical centers. She then asks these individuals to contact people on the list that they know personally and encourage them to apply for Fellowship. “It’s much more motivating if someone you know contacts you and says, ‘You should apply,” Wolf says. “And even more so when it’s someone from your department who can speak to your accomplishments. Colleagues are also motivated to help you because fellowship brings honor not just to you, but to the whole department or practice.”
I try to ensure people know that whether they’re in a small community practice or a large medical center, if their career has been around promoting the tenets of radiology and the ACR, then ACR fellowship is for them.
“There’s also often a reluctance to seem self-promoting among members,” says Jalil Afnan, MD, chair of the department of radiology at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and fellowship co-chair of the Massachusetts Radiological Society. “But if someone who is like you or who you recognize tells you to apply, you may self-reflect and think, ‘I never thought of myself that way, but now I’ll start thinking about it,’” Afnan adds.
Afnan also tries to think about the diversity of the practices and honorees in Massachusetts. “I think there’s a misconception that ACR Fellowship is only for national leadership or maybe it’s heavily weighted toward academics, which isn’t true. I try to ensure people know that whether they’re in a small community practice or a large medical center, if their career has been around promoting the tenets of radiology and the ACR, then ACR fellowship is for them. There are many different ways you can contribute, and I think it’s a measure of success for the College to see a diverse group of people appropriately receive the FACR,” says Afnan.
Building a Pipeline
Wolf also reviews the eligibility list to identify early career members and notes those members who might be eligible or near eligible in terms of total membership years but may need additional or stronger accomplishments to meet nomination criteria by year group before being approved by chapter leadership. For example, she says, someone might have a very strong background in research but hasn’t been very active in service to the specialty. In these cases, she reaches out to them and encourages them to strengthen their future application by joining one of the NYSRS or ACR committees, or by serving on committees at their own institutions. Volunteer service is an excellent example of achievements beyond the scope of employment.
Harris L. Cohen, MD, FACR, Executive Chair of Radiology and professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and fellowship chair of the Tennessee Radiological Society, also believes in mentoring FACR candidates. “I am constantly reaching out to people to encourage them to join national committees, or find ways to serve the College,” he says. Cohen even begins this process early in his department at work, well before his colleagues have met the minimum membership requirement. “They can start building the foundation now,” he notes.
NYSRS also starts early. “We want them to be ready for Fellowship when their time comes. That means knowing the criteria and emphasizing the importance of joining the ACR early. We also have many meetings, webinars, and social activities for our residents and fellows so they’ll be well-aware of what the College and NYSRS does,” Wolf explains.
Offering Support
Mentoring doesn’t just occur for members on the pathway to FACR eligibility. Chapters such as New York, Tennessee, and Massachusetts also guide all eligible members through the FACR process. After the initial outreach, the Massachusetts Radiological Society connects eligible members to those who have received the Fellowship within the last five years to serve as a candidate mentoring opportunity. “These people are often the best advocates, and because they have recently been through the process, they’re really able to demystify things,” says Afnan. These newer Fellows also guide eligible members through the application process and encourage them to submit the application prior to the chapter submission deadline, which varies by chapter.
NYSRS also provides support throughout the application process. Working with ACR staff, Wolf keeps tabs on who among the chapter members has submitted a complete application and most importantly who is still working on an FACR application. “I’ll reach out to them and help troubleshoot if they need it,” she says. “For the applicants I know, I’ll offer to write one of the two required recommendation letters.”
Wolf, Cohen and Afnan all agree: chapters leaders have a golden opportunity to be proactive in helping a member in their ACR Fellowship application process. “You shouldn’t only depend on individuals highlighting their own achievements or bringing themselves forward for Fellowship. State Chapters have a unique role in fostering future Fellows and nurturing their progress. And in that, we also have the ability to connect and encourage those from all types of practices to feel connected with the College,” says Afnan. Chapter leadership is a key resource for members to begin early and later steps in applying for ACR fellowship and earning the FACR credential.
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