Making of the Modern Radiologist: Helpful Tips to Become a Successful Radiology Residency Applicant

Nicholas Mynarski, BS, MS4

Gregory Demirjian, BS, MS4

Hello to all of our aspiring radiologists!

We are excited to introduce ourselves as your new Medical Student Update Co-Leads. Our goal is to advocate for the voice of medical students interested in radiology. For this upcoming year, we plan to deliver quality content and articles written by medical students, for medical students. Spanning from the personal experiences of our involved members to the in-depth detail of AI advancements, we hope to provide guidance and clarity in immersing oneself within the field of radiology across all four years of medical school. If we are afforded a pun, becoming a radiologist is not so black-and-white, but we hope to shine some light on the path.

While all of us seek to become great physicians from the beginning of medical school, many of us are not committed to radiology until later in our medical education. That being said, you can participate in meaningful, resume-building activities, whether you are an interested first-year student or are ready to apply to radiology residency. Below are some quick tips and ideas to involve yourself in the field of radiology and enhance your residency application:

Joining Radiology Organizations as a Medical Student Member

If you are receiving this newsletter, then you have most likely already completed one of the most lucrative steps to jumpstart your future career. Joining a professional organization, such as The American College of Radiology® (ACR®), allows you the opportunity to participate in national events and receive important information directly to your email. Connecting with these organizations and radiologists early in your career is an important first step to participate in a wide range of opportunities and build valuable professional relationships.

If you know a medical student who is interested in radiology but not yet a member, be sure to encourage them to join!

Volunteering

A vital part of any medical student’s resume is a solid foundation of volunteerism. Having a strong volunteer experience that you personally care about cannot only shape your future career, but it can be a great talking point at future residency interviews. Although volunteering directly in the field of radiology can be difficult, the ACR offers an excellent opportunity to volunteer with various programs and assist on special radiology projects through the Rad Reserves Program. Sign up here!

Leadership

Leadership experience is another critical aspect of becoming an outstanding physician. Nearly every professional organization has leadership opportunities available for medical students to get involved and advocate for your future colleagues at a national level. However, you can begin by helping lead your school’s Radiology Interest Group. Leading interest groups is a fantastic way to interact with attendings at your institution and learn about their experiences and thoughts on their unique subspeciality. Garnering your peer’s interest in radiology and emphasizing the importance of imaging interpretation is an excellent first step to leading the future generation of physicians.

Radiology Conferences/Symposiums

Attending radiology-based conferences and symposiums is an excellent way to learn about the field, network with aspiring radiologists, like yourself, connect with nationally recognized radiologists and share your groundbreaking research! Many organizations, such as the ACR, have symposiums geared directly towards medical students. Keep your eyes peeled for the ACR 2023 Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts and the virtual ACR Medical Student Symposium, as well as for conference scholarship opportunities through the 2023 ACR Medical Student Travel Scholarship or the PIER Internship.

Publications

Across all four years — a no-brainer to start building your radiology CV — contribute written work to the field. Writing that is worth discussing does not have to just be research studies and case reports. You may have worthwhile talking points on topics such as the societal implications, bioethical dilemmas or the environmental effects of radiology. Your thoughts on these subjects and many others can be submitted to this very newsletter for publication. You have already taken your first step in becoming a part of the radiology community by receiving this newsletter. Having an article published in an ACR newsletter will only push you further.

We hope that these quick tips have gotten flowing some ideas for how you can get involved in your future profession. Regarding the Medical Student Update, we are always open to hearing from you, and we are happy to gauge interest in what radiological topics you would like to read about. Please feel free to contact us at any time regarding submission information, new ideas for the Medical Student Update or questions regarding the newsletter. We look forward to the coming year and to giving back to the field of radiology as much as it has given to us!