Results of the 2015 Survey of the American Alliance of Academic Chief Residents in Radiology

Abstract

Rationale and objectives: The American Alliance of Academic Chief Residents in Radiology conducts an annual survey of chief residents in Diagnostic Radiology programs in North America. The survey serves as a resource for observing trends and disseminating ideas among radiology training programs.

Materials and methods: An online survey was distributed to chief residents at 181 residency programs, with questions on a broad range of topics including resident benefits, program and call structure, American Board of Radiology Core exam preparation, fellowships, and the job market.

Results: A total of 193 individual responses were received from 120 programs, for a response rate of 66%. The responses were compared to data from prior years' surveys, principally from 2012 to 2014.

Conclusions: Programs are shifting resident benefits spending toward Core exam preparation resources and away from lead aprons. In addition, 24-hour attending coverage continues to spread among programs, and the fraction of programs providing face-to-face postcall readouts continues to decline. Finally, although resident perception of the job market is now improving, residents feel that the job market continues to discourage medical students from entering radiology, a fact borne out by the 2015 match results. How the upcoming change to a direct interventional radiology residency will affect medical student interest is as yet uncertain.

Keywords: 24-hour attending coverage; ABR Core exam; Diagnostic radiology residency; chief resident survey; interventional radiology residency.