Dr. Kay Vydareny: Fifth female ACR Gold Medal winner

Each year, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has awarded its highest honor, the ACR Gold Medal, to an individual for distinguished, extraordinary service to the ACR or to the discipline of radiology. While this prestigious award was established almost a century ago, only ten women have received the honor throughout its history. This article seeks to highlight the life and achievements of one of these women, Dr. Kay Vydareny. Despite encountering barriers facing women in the medical field during medical school and residency in the 1960-70s, Dr. Vydareny went on to embark on a remarkable, enduring career. Early in her career, she began to build a professional network of fellow women colleagues through the American Association of Women Radiologists (AAWR), eventually serving as AAWR President in 1984. In addition to the AAWR, she served in leadership roles in many professional radiological organizations including the ACR. She was elected the first female speaker of the ACR Council Steering Committee in 1993, served on the Board of Chancellors from 1995 to 2002, and was President in 2001. At the same time, she maintained a passion for medical education. In honor of her distinguished and extraordinary service to radiology full of many groundbreaking firsts, she was awarded the ACR Gold Medal in 2005. She was only the fifth woman ever to receive this award. Throughout her outstanding career, Dr. Vydareny has continually been a dedicated and thoughtful educator, mentor, and leader who has made a lasting impact on the field of radiology.