Student interest groups are an important forum in which medical students learn about and develop interest in different medical specialties. To attract top students to radiology and promote understanding and appreciation of radiology among future physicians, it is important that radiology educators help to develop and sustain such groups at their institutions. This article reviews key considerations in creating and enhancing a radiology student interest group.
Radiology student interest groups vary widely in the nature, frequency, and quality of their programming. And some schools do not have a radiology student interest group at all. It is vital to the field of radiology that medical students enjoy opportunities to learn about it, in part because such groups help to attract top students to the field. Even students who ultimately choose careers in other fields are no less important, because they constitute radiology’s future referral base . Such groups can play a powerful role in both helping to assess and shaping student attitudes toward the field . They can also play an important role in helping to build and sustain student interest in a radiology department’s medical school course offerings and residency program . Institutions that lack a student interest group or whose groups are performing poorly may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage in attracting top students .
Other medical fields recognize the importance of interest groups and are working diligently to educate students, foster interest in their fields, and recruit future colleagues . Radiology needs to do the same. This article provides important information on two crucial aspects of radiology student interest groups. First, at schools that do not offer such programs, what steps can radiologists take to help create them? Second, how can radiologists at schools where such groups already exist do an even better job of helping them to fulfill their missions?
Getting off the ground
When it comes to starting a radiology student interest group, several considerations are particularly important. To begin with, it is necessary to identify a cadre of students who are interested in playing the role of founders. Equally important is to identify a faculty member willing to function as the group’s mentor, and perhaps even play the role of formal advisor. In both cases, founders need to be genuinely dedicated to the initiative and willing to devote the time and energy necessary to help lift the group off the ground. In principle, both the dean of students and the chair of radiology should be aware and supportive of the initiative. One or both may be able to provide valuable resources such as meeting space, secretarial support, or financial backing.
Where circumstances permit, it can be extremely helpful to solicit the aid of individuals who have prior experience with a student interest group. Some faculty members and students may already have experience with founding or participating in them through other medical fields or institutions. There is no substitute for experience. Although circumstances vary somewhat from institution to institution, there is no need for students and faculty at each school to “reinvent the wheel” each time the possibility of founding a student interest group is explored.
Many schools, and even some professional organizations, have established protocols and funding mechanisms for creating student interest groups . This typically requires filling out forms, writing bylaws, and recruiting a sufficient number of interested students. One opportunity for local, state, and national radiology organizations to facilitate such initiatives would be to create a “how to” manual that could be used by groups of students and faculty members interested in forming a local interest group. A further impetus would be to provide startup funding, perhaps in the form of competitive grants for institutions that submit good plans for such groups.
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Communication
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Funding
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Timing
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Programming
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Networking/Providing resources
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Conclusion
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References
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