Fellowship is one of the highest honors an ACR member can achieve and recognizes a history of service to organized radiology and medicine, teaching, and/or research. Fellows are represented by diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, interventional radiologists, and medical physicists.
The ACR Committee on Fellowship Credentials (CFC) measures each candidate’s credentials against the nomination criteria rubric. In an interview with the Bulletin, Kathleen A. Ward, MD, FACR, fellowship chairperson of the Illinois Radiological Society and a member of the CFC, discusses how the ACR is ensuring that Fellowship is available to all members who have demonstrated outstanding service — and urges early career professionals to start preparing now for the honor to build their careers toward earning this highest level of ACR membership.
What does an FACR application entail?
The online application opens each January at acr.org/FACR. Each chapter sets its submission deadlines running from March through June (visit acr.org/FACR for a drop-down menu of deadlines by chapter).
Candidates must have at least 10 post-training membership years and should have completed at least one achievement among any of the following domains: service, teaching, and/or research.
A successful application for ACR Fellowship also requires:
- Current CV outlining achievements
- At least two letters of endorsement from ACR Fellows (only one letter may be from a Fellow from the same business entity as the candidate)
What prevents an eligible FACR application from being approved?
Each year, nearly 100 Fellowship applications are left incomplete and not submitted. Some of these eligible members may be Fellows today, had they completed their applications.
The primary reason that a Fellowship application is not submitted is the lack of at least two endorsement letters. I would urge candidates to reach out to their chapter Fellowship chair for a review of their CVs, a recommendation on when to apply, as well as assistance with identifying potential endorsers. This guidance may improve an application’s chance for successful approval.
Each year, nearly 100 Fellowship applications are left incomplete and not submitted. Some of these eligible members may be Fellows today, had they completed their applications.
How do early career members find opportunities to improve their applications?
Volunteering and networking provide connections to other professionals in the radiology or medical community. An important entry to volunteering is your local ACR chapter. Many chapters have volunteering opportunities listed on their websites. I urge early career professionals to attend their local chapter meetings, serve on chapter committees, and support advocacy efforts. Major volunteer positions, such as past president of a chapter, hold great significance on an FACR application.
Early career members should also consider volunteering service to medical societies and performing community outreach, as well as attending subspecialty meetings and the ACR annual meeting. The current trend in virtual meetings provides ease of attendance, with increased networking opportunities.
Teaching also affords opportunities for nomination criteria fulfillment. I encourage early career members to offer to lecture at their local chapters’ scientific meetings. Such involvement may possibly lead to invitations to participate in courses, seminars, and visiting professorships.
Finally, research opportunities offer another pathway to Fellowship. Early career professionals should apply for research grants and contribute to national research studies. They can participate in their local and institutional collaborative trials and national research studies, as well as serve on local institutional review boards.
We suggest each candidate reach out to FACR@acr.org or visit acr.org/FACR for additional assistance. We wish each candidate the best of luck in their pursuit of this prestigious award.