So, your residency director begins to talk about his most successful radiology residents over the past ten years. But what does that mean exactly? And do you want to be part of that list? Well, maybe or maybe not.
Most of the time, the resident’s and program director’s expectations align precisely. But other times, the definition of a successful resident from a residency director’s perspective may vary widely from yours. In this light, we will talk about the expectations of a residency director and your expectations of the meaning of a “successful” radiology resident. Moreover, we will look into those conflicts of interest that may arise between the two expectations.
Residency Director Expectations
So, what makes a residency director happy with his residents? Well, for many directors, it comes down to reducing the heavy workloads. And, to keep their work to a minimum, most residency directors want their residents to comply with the basic expectations of a radiology residency program during the four years. In other words, these are some of the phrases that a residency director would want to apply to their best residents.
1. Passes the core exam on the first try
2. Completes all the necessary work on his own
3. Doesn’t create too much noise during residency.
4. Is expeditious with his work
5. Gets along well with others
6. Completes fellowship after residency
7. Enters academics and has a radiology career
8. Creates his research projects independently
9. Continues to produce research independently after graduation
Radiology Resident Expectations
On the other hand, what does a resident think would make the best sort of resident during his training? Here are some short descriptive sentences.
1. Reads enough during residency to have a good background for his career
2. Experiences and learns about all the procedures and modalities in the field.
3. Gets along well with colleagues and attendings
4. Makes connections for fellowship and beyond
5. Does not get sued
6. Can find a quality job in a desirable location with reasonable income after his residency
What Are The Potential Conflicts Of Interest Between The Resident’s and Program Director’s Expectations?
Research
The program gains more clout for a residency director when it produces large amounts of academics. For one, the Radiology Review Committee/ACGME will be much less likely to cite a residency if they have sent many abstracts to national conferences and have written numerous publications. On the other hand, many residents can care less about pursuing research and utilize it only as an avenue to graduate residency.
Making Noise
Often, residency directors like the status quo. To accomplish this, they would rather have their residents go through the motions of completing their work without changing the system. It becomes a less complex pathway with fewer chores to do. However, on some occasions, by not vocalizing educational issues, radiology residents may sacrifice their education and career. So, the resident may not find it appropriate to maintain silence.
Finding A “Good” Job
Sometimes, the program director’s definition of an acceptable career choice differs widely from his radiology residents. For instance, she may expect residents to go on to academic or prestigious private practice careers to maintain the “lineage” of the program. Nevertheless, the best career pathway may not always apply to each resident who comes through the system. Some residents may have business interests or may not have the desire to enter a typical career.
Taking And Passing The Boards
For most residents, completing the radiology boards become a critical step to obtaining a desirable job. And it also adds to the positive statistics of a program. But sometimes, passing the big exam is unnecessary to get the career the radiology resident wants. Perhaps, they want to enter the business world. Or, they have a job lined up in some other area. Taking and passing a board may become less critical to this resident than the radiology program.
Bottom Line About “Successful” Radiology Residents
The program director’s and the radiology resident’s expectations of the “successful” resident usually align. However, occasionally they don’t match up. It’s like parenting. Sometimes, we need to let our residents take an untraversed pathway. We, as program directors, cannot always force our residents down the same well-trodden trails. And radiology residents should not expect that they always need to perform the desired requirements. Instead, radiology residency directors, residents, and the external regulating bodies should redefine their expectations for success with the understanding that “successful” residents do not always fit an identical mold.
