Key Ingredients of a Breast Imaging Fellowship-A Recipe for Success

In 2013, the ACR and Society of Breast Imaging created a curriculum to standardize the knowledge of graduates from breast imaging fellowships. Despite this, however, there remains a need to provide guidance to programs as to how to structure and organize the fellowship. In this article, we review key elements of a breast imaging fellowship to ensure that programs graduate radiologists that are well prepared to practice safely and independently. Such a program would provide a developmental framework using the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. The training should be comprised of multiple and varied opportunities that promote active learning with appropriate supervision but progressive independence.

A successful fellowship program in breast imaging should embrace developmental milestones to ensure mastery of both basic and complex skills. Organized rotations, regular feedback, structured and self-directed learning activities, and participation in local, regional, and national meetings and organizations contribute to well-rounded graduates.