Tag: meetings

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Virtual Radiology Conferences: Are They Worth It?

virtual conferences

Nowadays, when you look online for your favorite conferences, most of them have still not returned to the live format. For me, it is RSNA, AUR, and SNMMI. (of which I believe RSNA will be going live later this year). And this goes for most radiology and radiology subspecialty conferences. So, what have we lost by going to the virtual meeting format? And, why have I not signed up for virtual radiology conferences this year (I also have a sneaking suspicion that many of you are in the same boat!) We will embark on all these issues and more as we delve into the frailties of the virtual conference.

Hard To Concentrate At Home On a Computer – Kids, Dogs, etc.

I don’t know about you, but home is a different environment compared to a conference. Many of us have constant interruptions from all sorts of creatures, kids, relatives, love ones, and more. It is challenging to listen to a conference when the dog is barking and the kids need dinner. Virtual radiology conferences provide an escape from the daily trials and tribulations of home and allow you to learn without interruptions!

No Meetings With Colleagues Over Lunch/Dinner

At conferences, I often learn more from my colleagues than I do from the speakers themselves. Going to events, dinners, and scheduled meetings allows you to learn about other radiologists’ practices and issues throughout the country. These meetings are where I often find out about what is going on in other residencies or the radiology business world. And, many times, I will try to apply it to our own. Going to virtual conferences does not allow you to have these experiences without a significant challenge!

Loss Of Esprit De Corps

Then, of course, something about attending a meeting and being in the same boat as the other hundreds or thousands of attendees rejuvenates my excitement for all the new possibilities in the world of radiology. Knowing that you are there and not alone makes you feel like part of a large team. Listening to miscellaneous lectures anonymously on the computer does not have the same effect, even though many others are also attending!

Can’t Check Out The New Wares

It’s hard to get a feel for the latest and greatest equipment when you cannot see the demos, play with the software, and check out the sizes and shapes of the new PET-CTs, MRI, etc. Going to conferences allows you to talk to the vendors and get an idea of what to push your hospital to purchase. It’s kind of hard to do all this from home.

Opportunity For Side Vacations Gone

Ever thought about bringing your whole family to check out the scenery while you are at a conference? Or have a desire to take a few hours or a day off to check out the local sightseeing and food? It’s kind of challenging to do that from home. One of the reasons to go to a conference is to experience something new. Traveling allows you to do all that.

Virtual Radiology Conferences: It’s Just Not The Same!

For me, virtual radiology conferences are a no-go. All the interruptions, lack of interpersonal connections, loss of the ability to check out all the new gadgets, and the lack of ability to explore the area do not make these semblances of conferences worth my while. Until we return to a fully open live conference format again, I’d instead just get my CMEs the old-fashioned way: at home!

 

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Are Residency-Wide Meetings A Waste Of Time?

meetings

In many radiology residencies, similar to some large private practices, not all residents work at the same site. Perhaps, rarely, if at all, do they remain in the same building simultaneously. Moreover, within the program, individual sites within the residency program may give different lectures to the residents rotating at that particular site. Or maybe, you will have varying experiences in your residency due to the limited spots and rotations. One resident may never even rotate through areas that others do. So, big deal, right? How important can it be to have meetings with all your colleagues in your radiology program? Well, I will convince you today that residency-wide meetings are essential. And we will go through the most critical reasons why!

Uneven Distribution Of Work

For instance, you may work at one location and experience a level I trauma center. At the same time, the colleague you started with spends most of his time in an oncology center. Your fellow resident becomes jealous that he is getting very little on-the-job training in trauma radiology. And, you think that you are not getting enough oncology work. How do you resolve this issue? You may not be able to change the schedule without reaching a consensus. Often, to do that, the only way to address this issue is to meet with your colleagues!

Or, since you are working at a pediatric center with inadequate coverage, you must work night call every 5th night. Meanwhile, your “friend” in the main hospital has plenty of coverage and can work call every two weeks. Now, you can discuss all this with your program director. However, you must lay out the issues first with your fellow residents and faculty at residency meetings so everyone can understand and fix the problem.

Miscommunication

Like the game of telephone, you will likely miss out on the opportunity to communicate on the same wavelength if you do not meet as a whole residency program. Perhaps, separate study groups form, and some residents are not privy to the same information. Or, one group learns a technique for fluoroscopy and never shares it with their colleagues. What happens? The whole residency loses out!

Less Sharing Of Resources Leading To Poor Outcomes

Perhaps, one site has a simulation center for interventional radiology procedures. And the others do not. If the residency does not meet as a whole, how do you know which resources to share? And what happens to those residents that never get a chance to perform procedures on the simulation devices? Well, they lose out on the opportunity to learn interventions. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Not having regular meetings can lead to poor resident training outcomes!

Lack Of Interresidency Networking

Every person in the residency that you do not know reduces the chances that you will find a great job when you graduate. Why? Maybe, the uncle of one of your fellow residents is a radiologist at a hospital in Walla Walla, Washington. And that is the only place where you want to live. When you lose out on your contacts because you barely meet with colleagues at other sites, you lose another chance to get that next best career opportunity!

Importance Of Residency Meetings

Individual sites cannot remain entirely independent from one another to have a well-functioning residency. Accordingly, resident education will either suffer or, at least, not achieve the best possible outcomes for all its members. Not creating regular meetings for all the residents allows jealousy among residents to fester, uneven work distribution to continue, inadequate sharing of resources, and opportunities lost for resident networking. So, don’t poo-poo the resident meeting. They serve a crucial function!