Yes, We Can! Ensuring That our Graduating Resident's Procedural Skills Meet the Needs of Their Patients

There is a burgeoning discrepancy between the procedural competency of graduating diagnostic radiology residents and the needs of our patient population. The causes of this mismatch and opportunities for improvement are explored by the APDR Procedural Competency of Graduating DR Residents Task Force.

The APDR convened a task force consisting of diverse broad stakeholder viewpoints, drawing from organized radiology, academic and private practices. The task force conducted structured analyses of the drivers contributing to the current state and reviewed relevant resources, conducted membership surveys, and developed consensus statements regarding solutions to the identified problem.

A defined list of procedures a graduating resident is expected to competently perform is established. Key domain-based drivers of the currents state were identified including the ABR initial certification exam structure and content, ACGME practices, creation of the IR-DR residency and ESIR tracks, residency and fellowship training paradigms, and secular trends. The task force offers several best practice recommendations for improving procedural training in DR residency to better meet the needs of the marketplace and our patients.

Armed with a defined list of procedures expected of a general radiologist and best practices for enhancing procedural training in diagnostic residencies, the task force presents a national game-plan for improving our ability to deliver high value diagnostic and interventional services to the communities that need it most.