Radiology experiments with virtual visiting professorships amid pandemic
Radiology departments are experimenting with the use of virtual visiting professorships to help continue disseminating medical innovations amid the pandemic, according to research published Friday.
This longstanding custom has come into question in recent years as radiologists grapple with rising workloads and strained budgets. Back in spring 2020, breast radiologist Katerina Dodelzon, MD, came up with the idea of continuing this practice via the web with a national breast imaging speaker exchange that included a virtual meet-and-greet and Q&A session.
The idea is showing promising early returns, based on survey data, and may warrant further exploration, experts wrote Jan. 7 in JACR.
“Information about technological advances and new procedures from subject matter experts is still not uniformly available across radiology training programs,” Dodelzon, an assistant professor of radiology and associate fellowship director at Weill Cornell, and co-authors noted. “This reality, as well as the increasing need for diversity in our field, suggests virtual professorship programs could enhance the knowledge base and improve patient care at host programs. These needs were amplified when the COVID-19 pandemic compromised educational opportunities for radiology trainees due to initial decreases in case volumes, social distancing requirements in reading rooms, as well as loss of social connections and idea exchange in radiology departments.”
After gaining approval at her New York-based institution, Dodelzon then presented her idea at the American College of Radiology’s Breast Cancer Screening Leadership Group, which voiced its support. Interested programs were then paired up to test out virtual visiting professorships. Seven academic institutions participated, along with three lecturers from private practice groups. Participants held pre-meeting get-togethers to simulate traditional dinners and in-person discussions during visits. The program was designed to involve junior radiology faculty, rather than the usual focus on senior staff members.
Participants and members of the ACR leadership group received an 18-question survey afterward to gather their thoughts. All told, 21 individuals filled out the questionnaire out of 44 contacted (a 47% response rate). About 92% of virtual visiting professorship host institution leaders said they are either likely or extremely likely to collaborate or invite other VVPs to speak on another topic in the future. Half of those institutions offered CME through the program, while 8 of 12 thought the lecture topics added “a lot or a great deal” to trainees’ educational curriculum. Meanwhile, the 13 speakers cited meeting new colleagues, resumé building for promotion, identifying new collaborators and creating a lecture for future use as the greatest benefits of the VVP program.
Read more about the initiative in the Journal of the American College of Radiology here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.