The ACR® presented RFS programming at the 2024 annual meeting April 13 and 14 in the Columbia rooms at the Washington Hilton. Over the weekend, the sun radiated a warm glow, the cherry blossoms bloomed, and we all learned how to succeed as a radiology trainee.
David B. Larson, MD, MBA, FACR, kicked off the RFS meeting on Saturday morning after a hearty breakfast. He hosted an engaging Jeopardy session covering the ABR Noninterpretive Skills Study Guide (68 pages you need to know for boards).
During the keynote address on work-life balance, Elizabeth Arleo, MD, FACR, author of
First, Eat Your Frog: And Other Pearls for Professional Working Mothers, explained that it’s often best to “eat your frogs” in the morning (i.e., complete the most difficult tasks first). Planning out your days is key. And, she said, it does not hurt to ask for something politely.
Michael M. Raskin, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACR, gave an eye-opening talk on the current state of medical liability. He emphasized communicating with referring physicians and keeping an eye out for the corner finding!
After a visit from ACR leadership, we heard from the “Practice Types Panel,” featuring panelists from various environments, including academics, private practice, locums, VA, private practice hybrid and teleradiology. This panel was moderated well by David Payne, MD (past RFS Secretary).
Just before lunch and the candidate speeches, Alisha Rathi, MD (immediate past RFS Chair), encouraged everyone to get involved with the RFS and explore the new
ACR Volunteer Link. Did you know that volunteering can actually combat burnout? Nilda Williams, MD, shared updated definitions of burnout, moral injury and emotional intelligence. She emphasized being mindful of each and to look out for our colleagues.
As the RFS crowd sipped on afternoon tea, Melissa Chen, MD, broke down the economics of new technology in healthcare. We learned about
CMS,
PFS,
IPPS and
OPPS … easy, right? To wrap up on Saturday, Christopher Walker, MD, gave his two cents on personal finance. Make the most of your money by investing, even as a trainee.
ACR Council Vice Speaker Kurt Schoppe, MD, hit the ground running on Sunday for the second day of RFS programming, explaining that reading studies is not enough. To meet the needs of our patient population, he suggested learning protocols and procedures without focusing on perfection. Richard Barth, MD, FACR, subsequently shared an
alternate pathway to subspecialty certification that does not require a fellowship. Notably, pediatric radiologists are currently in high demand.
During a stimulating dialogue from Richard Duszak Jr., MD, FACR, he wisely stated, “there are no perfect jobs; there are only trade-offs.” After that, it was time for the panel, Alternate Careers and Roles in Radiology, with some big names, including ACR 2024 Moreton Lecturer, Woojin Kim, MD, who presented Generative AI: The Next Frontier of AI in Medical Imaging. Betsy Haberl, MD (past RFS Communications Liaison) moderated and kept the audience amused.
Last but not least, Connie Lu, MD (past AMA delegate), and friends (Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR and Kirang Patel, MD) reminded attendees about the ACR’s influence on government legislation. We can all use our voices for the good of radvocacy.
We look forward to seeing you at the ACR 2025 Annual Meeting, May 3–7, in Washington, DC!
