Tips for Attaining a Current, Balanced and Varied News Diet

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One of the first things I learned while completing my minor in journalism as an undergraduate student was the importance of a “varied news diet” when consuming media. In other words, it’s important to incorporate information from multiple platforms and channels created by different and verified sources to develop broader perspectives.

While the sheer amount of content being produced daily alone makes this challenging, the strategy is valuable in its promotion of critical thinking and analysis, both of which are cornerstones of the profession we pursue as medical students.

But we aren’t just medical students; we are busy medical students. As such, it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with all the events, opportunities and educational content from many radiology-oriented platforms geared toward medical students. Here are a few resources to help you stay informed with a current, balanced informational diet.

Become an ACR Rad Reserves Member

Checking emails can quickly become your foe. To combat email fatigue, the ACR Rad Reserves offers a curated monthly digest of events, scholarships, opportunities and resources. The digest allows you to be among the first to receive updates about ACR MSS opportunities available on ACR Volunteer Link.

In fact, the ACR Rad Reserves digest is the reason I began participating in the ACR Communications Subcommittee as a first-year medical student. I have now served on this committee for the past four years in various roles (including Rad Reserves Co-Lead). After your membership in ACR Rad Reserves is accepted, you’ll continue to receive the digest unless you unsubscribe.

Set Your ACR Engage Email Preferences

While the ACR Rad Reserves monthly digest offers a synthesis of content for medical students, it lacks peer-to-peer discussion. Luckily, the discussion forum, ACR Engage, is accessible using your ACR member login. Please invite your fellow medical students to join the forum by submitting an ACR membership application — and tell them that their membership is free and includes many helpful benefits.

Not only does ACR Engage offer multiple communities open for discussions, but it also provides a directory of faculty and fellow peers as well as a growing library of on-demand resources. I find it particularly valuable to monitor the global conversations on Engage, aptly called “The Reading Room.” While some of the conversations in this community do not directly apply to my role as a medical student, they offer a window into the future of radiology and considerations for various aspects of practice.

After you sign up for ACR Engage, you’ll receive email notifications allowing you to directly interact with specific groups. It’s important to set your notifications appropriately to the number of emails you wish to receive from the platform. My personal settings are to receive “Real Time” emails for the MSS and Resident and Fellow Section and a “Daily Digest” for the other communities.

Follow ACR MSS List on Social Platform X

The proverbial elephant in any space related to communication is the role of social media. The ubiquitous nature of these platforms in modern society makes them both helpful tools to disseminate free-access open medical education (often referenced with the hashtag, #FOAMed) as well as hotbeds of misinformation and disinformation in medicine and beyond. Still, a wealth of bite-sized resources and connections can enhance your knowledge and awareness of radiology and opportunities.

To access timely and relevant radiology content in your feed, subscribe to the ACR MSS on X to connect with accounts from verified radiology organizations and individuals. In addition, the ACR MSS uses #ACRMSS on all X posts to identify content directly from the section, while hashtags such as #VIRAD, #RadRes, #ACR and #ACR202X (X refers to the current year) provide additional content across different platforms. 

A Word on Professionalism

In addition to the consumption of content, it’s equally important to maintain a professional identity when interacting with and even creating content as a medical student. The ACR MSS Communications Subcommittee toolkit details strategies for engagement, growth and professional networking for radiology interest groups. The toolkit also contains Ethical and Professional Considerations recommended by the ACR, including the privilege that physicians-in-training possess to engage thoughtfully with integrity, professionalism and accuracy.

While it may be difficult to keep up with it all in medical school, it’s the fundamental hunger for knowledge and opportunity that propelled us into the field. Be sure to curate your informational plate with foresight and proactive intention as you continue this journey!