Tag: personality

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What Do Radiology Program Directors Really Want From Their Residents? The Perfect Resident Triad!

perfect resident triad

This year, applicants have asked the following question more than ever before, “What do I look for in a radiology resident?” And I will answer this question with what I like to call “the perfect resident triad.” But first, I thought it would be interesting to discuss why I believe this question has become more common coming from medical students.

The Psychology Behind The Question, “What Do Radiology Program Directors Really Want From Their Residents?”

On the surface, some folks may say I am putting too much thought into why applicants may be asking this question. But, I believe this question says something about medical students applying to radiology. There is more to it than meets the eye.

First, I believe this question reflects current medical student cultural differences. Distinct from generations past, this question requires applicants to worry more about goals and expectations than any class before. And I think this difference is a function of what today’s educational system has demanded of all these students.

Moreover, I believe that schools have gone “ga-ga” with grading. From my own experience with kids, students today are continually bombarded with grades and tests, more so than I had ever experienced. In essence, the increased frequency of this question with the implied inherent message of “how do you evaluate me?” makes a lot of sense given today’s student culture environment.

Regardless of all the hidden meanings behind the question (that could be a whole psychological blog in itself!), I figured this would be a great forum to provide you an associate program director’s perspective and answer to this common question. And, maybe it will help you to figure out how to become a better radiology applicant and resident. So, here’s a summary of the perfect resident triad, the three characteristics that I want from incoming residents!

The Perfect Resident Triad

Academic Abilities

First and foremost, we need to know that a resident can make it through the radiology residency program. And, nowadays, unfortunately, the best piece of evidence that allows us to assess if a resident can pass the boards is the USMLE Step I. Studies have correlated excellent performance on this examination with the core examination, So, we need to take this data point seriously. To do so, we have made a cutoff score that will lessen the chance of having residents fail the exam.

Second, we need to see that you have done well in medical school. Our best assessment of this comes from the Dean’s letter. This document tends to be the only one that will say anything negative about the applicant. Therefore, we need to use it as a means of distinguishing resident academic qualifications. Also, from our experience, this measure correlates well with how much a resident will study during residency. And, radiology residents need to read a lot!

Personality

Although you might not think personality should matter much in a radiology resident, nothing could be further from the truth. Faculty members can sit with a radiology resident for hours at a time. The ultimate burden that a faculty member needs would be to dread that a particular resident is going to be there on any given day. Additionally, program directors do not want a “rabble-rouser” that will create problems every other day for her fellow residents.

The bottom line is, personality counts. And, to assess personality, there are only a few bits of information that we can use, interviews, and the Dean’s Letter. We rely on our interviews to make sure that the applicant responds reasonably to a conversation with questions. And, we utilize the Dean’s Letter to look for patterns of behavior that may cause our lives to be miserable!

Independence

Finally, we do not want to have to tell our residents what to do at every given moment. Sometimes, you have to take the bull by the horns. So, we expect not to have to tell them to get involved with as many procedures and cases as possible. And, we don’t want to be on top of them all the time to make sure that they find a research project. And so on. Residents are adults, and we expect them to act like mature learners that can take charge of their education.

We assess this characteristic based on the interview, previous research, and academic performance. Although not perfect assessment tools for this trait, they do provide us with some quality information.

What Do Program Directors Want?

So, that’s what I want from my residents and what I believe most program directors would wish: the “perfect resident triad”: To summarize, we want the following: 1. A team member that does well academically. 2. A resident with a personality with which we can work. 3. And, someone who maintains a bit of an independent streak. If you are that sort of medical student or resident now, you will be an invaluable member of any radiology residency team. Come aboard!

 

 

 

 

 

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You Want To Become A Radiology Program Director! Are You Nuts?

radiology program director

Did you ever wonder how your radiology program director started to run a radiology residency? Did she desire this calling from day one or did the residency bestow this honor upon her? Well, let me tell you a little about the world of residency  directors (my world!)

Typically, let me give you a picture of the process. It usually happens like this. The Chairman of the radiology department comments at a meeting, “Who wants to take on the role of the new residency director?” You hear a wall of silence. Then, the Chairman asks, “Who doesn’t want the role of radiology program director?” And, then everyone raises their hand except the one guy who is sleeping in the corner. So, who do you think gets this vaunted position?

All kidding aside (not really!), it does take a unique (better phrased “atypically crazy”) individual to relish the opportunity to become a program director. Today, I am going to go into the type of person that can succeed and can find this role rewarding. Moreover, I will talk about the most significant challenges and rewards of this position.

Radiology Program Director Personality

Not all personalities can handle the position of the radiology program director. If you have anger management issues or react before thinking, you are in for a lot of trouble. Optimally, you want to install a person who has a lot of patience, enjoys teaching residents, and can handle long hours of paperwork. But, unfortunately, many times, that is not the case. Hence, the enormous turnover in residency directors. The turnover in residency directors occurs over six years on average, more rapidly than most other residency programs. (check out this article from 2013 by Dr. Ruchman on AJR)

Most importantly, however, this individual needs to understand the dynamics of working with other people. My theory about why the turnover is so high for radiology program directors: I believe that departments select program directors based on academic credentials and technical skills, not upon the personality that will be running these programs (A big mistake!) You cannot expect to run a program well without excellent communication skills. Believe me. Nothing angers residents more than working with a program director that does not listen and talk to the residents within their program!

Challenges

When I started writing this paragraph, I could not even think about where to begin since the trials and tribulations have been so numerous. But, I will take a stab at some of the more significant ones.

As much as any program director would like to say he picks the perfect residents and never had any issues during their tenure, this is rarely the case. (This is also true at the most “prestigious” programs- but they will not let that on!) To this point, most program directors have incredible stories of resident hardships, horrifying incidents, and more. All you have to do is ask, and they will tell you a bizarre story or two! But, here are some of the most difficult of the challenges.

The Struggling Resident

The biggest challenge to the average program director is the struggling resident that cannot make it through the program. And, this may be for any number of reasons, but most commonly related to mental health, learning disability, or social/professionalism issues. Fortunately, these encounters are rare. And, most of the time, the residency team can solve them. But, every once in a while, they do crop up, and residency programs will have to let a resident go.

Trust me. It is heart-wrenching and terrible. However, in the end, each residency director has to attest to the following when they sign the graduation certificate, “This resident is competent to practice in the field of radiology.” And, if you cannot do that, then you cannot graduate the resident. We have a responsibility to the community to make sure that dangerous radiologists do not practice medicine. If you are working as a director long enough, it will happen in your program.

The Weird “One-Off” Incidents

Also, of course, there are the “one-off” incidents that most directors will encounter that can present real challenges as well. What do I mean by that? You have a resident that gets into trouble with the law for a DUI or a fist fight between a radiology resident and a surgeon in the middle of the night. I can tell you that each situation is unique and presents its own set of challenges on how to deal with them. We are always flying by the seat of our pants!

Mind-Numbing Paperwork

Lastly, we need to accept the responsibility of mind-numbing paperwork at times. In the past, with the old site visit system, we needed to create a gazillion essays about why our residency program should exist with terminology and mumbo-jumbo that you would not believe based on the musings of a few Ph.D. education types. But even today, with the newer site visit system, we still have enormous quantities of documentation to prepare.

Additionally, between the milestones, surveys, resident/faculty evaluations, meeting minutes, and more, you need an army of coordinators and personnel who are computer savvy to make sure your residency program can continue to survive. (That’s why small residency programs find it challenging to survive) However, many of these responsibilities often fall into the lap of the program director. And, these items are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg!

Rewards

Yes, with great responsibility comes great rewards. And, this time-honored cliche applies no differently to those running a radiology residency program. I can think of almost no better feeling than to see your residents succeed, becoming chairmen of other departments, writing inciteful academic papers, and becoming incredible clinicians once they graduate.

Also, getting your residents past the hardships they may encounter during their residency program can take an incredible amount of work, but there is no better reward than getting them over these obstacles and watching them take off in their careers. In the end, we are coaches and mentors. And, if you like these roles, you may enjoy becoming a program director (As long as you can accept all the other flaws that go with it!)

Becoming A Radiology Program Director- Are We Nuts?

Well, after all this discussion, the short answer is yes, we are nuts. We need to have unique nutty characteristics that enable us to succeed in our job. And, we take joy in the experience of teaching over all the other issues that come with the position. But, if that is nuts, so be it!

 

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Can Introverts And Extroverts Thrive In The Field Of Radiology?

introvert

Students and physicians compartmentalize the different medical subspecialties into different personality types. And from what I hear, stereotypical radiologists tend to be introverts (formal definition- shy, reticent people). But, do most of us radiologists prefer to be alone? And, can extroverts thrive in the radiology specialty? I will try to answer these questions and give you my thoughts about the personality of the folks in my field.

Are Most Radiologists Introverts?

Well, I believe that, on the whole, radiologists lean toward the introverted portion of the personality spectrum. I mean… Can many extroverts stand to sit in front of a computer for hours at a time culling through images and dictating reports? You need to spend a bit of time on your own in between interruptions. On the other hand, you probably know a few radiologists that are not wall-flowers. Most of the more extroverted radiologists gravitate toward the field of interventional radiology or mammography, fields with more frequent patient interactions. Additionally, many of these extroverts enjoy performing additional highly social responsibilities such as heads of medical staff, chairs of departments, or hospital administration. All these roles benefit from an extroverted, gregarious sort. But, these folks tend to be the minority.

Why Do Some Introverts Thrive In Radiology?

OK. So, the field lends itself to a more introverted personality. But why is it that introverts have the potential to thrive in radiology? Some of the noted qualities of introverts, such as paying sharp attention to detail and processing large amounts of data, are personality traits that allow an introvert to succeed. And, no matter what your colleagues say, introverts have the potential to enjoy fewer personal interactions in radiology than in other fields such as medicine or surgery. These features of radiology allow the introvert to thrive in his profession.

Nevertheless, the typical introvert needs to learn some extrovert skills. For example, with the many phone calls we make and the numerous technologists and nurses we must manage, it is next to impossible to bury one’s head in the sand. And to run a group as a stakeholder, the introverted radiologist needs to learn leadership skills. Completely isolating oneself from others does not work well in our profession.

Why Do Some Extroverts Thrive In Radiology?

In baseball, we find the lefty pitcher more likely to succeed because he throws differently from most pitchers. Likewise, the extrovert is likelier to shine in a group of individuals dominated by introverts. Every group needs folks that can shmooze with the right people, interact well with the administration, and lead a group toward success. These folks tend to shy away from some of the more analytical independent areas of radiology. And many opportunities exist that require the skills of the extrovert in our field. The introvert cannot go it alone!

Introverts/Extroverts- Does It Matter?

In our field, no one size fits all. We both need introverted and extroverted radiologists for our profession to thrive. A group without an extrovert is a recipe for disaster, with poor communication skills leading to anarchy. And, a group without the analytical skills of an introvert will not last long. So, let us try to appreciate one another for who we are. In the end, the best groups are a combination of both.