The Residency Review Committee of the American Council of Graduate Medical Education has designated abdominal radiology as one of the subspecialty areas required for radiology residency training. Because it spans both gastrointestinal and genitourinary organ systems and multiple modalities, a graduated, integrated abdominal radiology curriculum, which is based on the General Competencies, was developed.
Radiology departments vary widely in their subspecialty organization; some are organ-based, others are modality-based, and still others are hybrid or have virtual subspecialty sections. For purposes of diagnostic radiology residency program accreditation by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the Residency Review Committee requires that the abdominal radiology subspecialty area integrate gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) organ systems and several modalities . These include GI/GU plain radiography, GI/GU fluoroscopy, abdominal computed tomography (CT), and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The combination of GI and GU with multiple modalities underscores the need for an integrated curriculum to guide resident learning and self-assessment as well as preparation by the resident for the American Board of Radiology examination sections in GI and GU radiology. Ultrasound represents a separate subspecialty area under the Residency Review Committee guidelines.
In addition to the need to amalgamate GI and GU radiological education, residency training programs have also had to restructure their goals and objectives and resident assessments based on the General Competencies developed by the ACGME and implemented in late 2003 . The goals and objectives need to be longitudinally linked, and reflect the expectation for progressively advanced performance in achieving the goals and objectives as the resident progresses from early to advanced rotations. This includes growth in both the range and depth of medical knowledge and other areas of the General Competencies.
An integrated, graduated curriculum in abdominal radiology, with Goals and Objectives based on the General Competency categories, was created which could serve as a template for other programs wishing to formulate their own curriculum. The curriculum was developed with input from the coauthors and our residents, and follows the General Competency organizational structure used by other subspecialties such as the Society of Thoracic Radiology for its chest radiology curriculum . Although specific medical knowledge goals and objectives are included in the curriculum, more comprehensive topic lists are also included as appended website links to the curriculum . These lists of topics, and in some cases specific skills, were developed by the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology (2003) and the Society of Uroradiology (2006) as a guide for residents. Both website links list many disease entities about which the resident must be knowledgeable. The Society of Uroradiology document goes further and delineates knowledge-based and technical skill benchmarks by year of training, but does not address the General Competency categories in this fashion. The disease topics in both curricula are well structured, and are sorted by organ system, which should help the resident focus his or her reading and online research, and dovetails well with our proposed curriculum.
The curriculum is meant to be a living document that can be modified as new knowledge, skills, or behaviors develop within the competency-based framework. Evolution of the curriculum could be achieved in a variety of ways through ongoing resident and faculty dialogue or as part of a formal annual review of the program by the faculty and residents, which occurs each year in our department and is an ACGME requirement. If used by programs other than our own, the curriculum may be customized to reflect local expertise and unique learning opportunities/resources.
Goals: early level rotations
After completion of the early abdominal CT/MRI and GI/GU rotations (approximately 8-10 weeks), the resident should be able to:
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Specific objectives/benchmarks: early rotations
A. Patient Care
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
B. Medical Knowledge
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
C. Practice-based Learning and Improvement
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
D. Interpersonal and Communications Skills
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
E. Professionalism
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
F. Systems-based Practice
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Goals: mid-level rotations
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Specific objectives/benchmarks: mid-level rotations
A. Patient Care
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
B. Medical Knowledge
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
C. Practice-based Learning and Improvement
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
D. Interpersonal and Communications Skills
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
E. Professionalism
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
F. Systems-based Practice
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Goals: advanced level rotations
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Specific objectives/benchmarks advanced-level rotations
A. Patient Care
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
B. Medical Knowledge
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
C. Practice-based Learning and Improvement
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
D. Interpersonal and Communications Skills
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
E. Professionalism
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
F. Systems-based Practice
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
References
1. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Program requirements for graduate medical education in diagnostic radiology. Available at: http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/downloads/RRC_progReq/420_diagnostic_radiology_07012008.pdf . Accessed January 15, 2009.
2. Collins J., Rosado de Christenson M., Gray L., et. al.: General competencies in radiology residency training: definitions, skills, education, and assessment. Acad Radiol 2002; 9: pp. 721-726.
3. Collins J., Abbott G.F., Holbert J.M., et. al.: Revised curriculum on cardiothoracic radiology for diagnostic radiology residency with goals and objectives related to general competencies. Acad Radiol 2005; 12: pp. 210-223.
4. Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology Curriculum. Available at: http://www.apdr.org/directors/upload/Gastrointestinal.pdf . Accessed January 15, 2009.
5. Society of Uroradiology Curriculum. Available at: http://www.apdr.org/directors/upload/Genitourinary.pdf . Accessed January 15, 2009.