Radiology Residents' Dilemma in Present Time!

Indian Radiologists Crave for Foreign Degrees

We read the article “Indian Radiologists Crave for Foreign Degrees”[1] with great interest. We wish to highlight an issue closely related to the above letter.

These days radiology residents are exposed to voluminous on- and off-line information. With rapid growth of online learning resources (may it be e-books, radiology applications available on google play store or iOS app store, social networking learning groups/channels, YouTube videos, online webinars/CMEs/conferences, or simple google search on a web browser), the radiology residents feel empowered that every information is just a click away. However, in this realm of illusion, they often get lost completely without realizing that such abundance of information might have done more harm (than benefit) to them. As our minds have a finite capacity, any unending information won't be assimilated easily. Consequently, many residents (especially in their early years of residency) end up studying in bits and snatches from various sources without developing a proper understanding of the subject. Moreover, they often miss out on acquiring hands-on-skills. This was not the scenario few years back. The role of a mentor or teacher was always crucial, but today it has increased even more. It is not only to help the residents understand fundamentals of the subject but also to advise them in choosing the available resources wisely. Both aspects, viz. what to read and how to go ahead step by step, are crucial and need guidance from the experienced mentor; more so, as this may be peculiar to every resident. Moreover, in present times, the residents (in their pseudo empowered state) often fail to seek help from their mentors. It is, therefore, the duty of the mentors to reach out to the residents and guide them appropriately. In fact, a departmental support group formation (including faculty members and senior residents) is worth-a-try.[2] Additionally, this support group can also help final year residents in choosing their career trajectory as per their interests, temperament, skills learnt, and course/career offerings.[3] Ultimately, it is the path of learning that matters the most, as this path will define and shape their professional personality.

We wish the residents and their mentors would acknowledge this aspect of learning well in time; otherwise, the residents will lose a significant chunk of their time in reading not-so-important things, at the cost of missing out on very important must-to-know contents of the subject. Choosing what to learn well and wisely is more important and of practical benefit, than collecting a multitude of additional superfluous qualifications. This will really help the residents in sailing smoothly through their voyage of residency years, ultimately increasing their happiness quotient.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 July 2023

• References

• 1 Gothi R. Indian radiologists crave for foreign degrees. Indian J Radiol Imaging 2023; 33 (02) 280
• 2 Illinois: Radiological Society of North America; c2023 [updated 2022 April 21]. Accessed June 13, 2023 at: https://www.rsna.org/news/2022/april/Radiology-Residency-Resiliency
• 3 Sarangi PK, Narayan RK, Panda BB, Rao MVK, Panda S, Mittal C. Subspecialization, senior residency, or private practice: the dilemma of final-year radiology postgraduate residents in India. Indian J Radiol Imaging 2023; 33 (03) 295-301