iRADiX

This one is less of a personal choice than a suggested natural progression of the previous two posts. It is also written under the influence of jet lag and an accompanying three year old with jet lag.

It's now been three years since I completed my fellowship ("baccha hai" as most would say) and already, I find myself forgetting much I learned during my training. My residency training was great in giving me the time and guidance to see a host of common and uncommon conditions and my first few years in practice threw me into an ocean of uncertainties where every case was a teaching case with an uncertain result from which I have emerged stronger and more clinically adept.

"Who is this little imp to write about our education system?" For what it's worth although I never trained in radiology in India, my initial steps towards radiology were thanks to a cousin and his partner in Mumbai who are excellent radiologists and even nicer people. I am fortunate to have as a neighbor, friend, philosopher, guide and father in law a senior radiologist and educator. In addition to this I am also fortunate to spend time candidly once a week with one of the most well recognized radiology educators in the country. Furthermore, my wife trained in radiology in India and finally, I have found a way to torture residents at a variety of radiology programmes in Mumbai and elsewhere. This leaves me in unique the position of being trained outside but getting an insight into our education system and seeing it vis-à-vis elsewhere.

The two famous educators mentioned above have similar and yet varying opinions about trainees today. Both believe that radiologists who come out of training in general are not that great and that the educators are terrible for the most part. They differ as one has more respect for the intellect and commitment of residents than the other. Going back to the basics, from this n of 2 individuals (which I think is reasonably strong), radiology education in our country leaves much to be desired. Although later in life they may excel, many of the radiologists we let loose on society could certainly be better trained. The part I try to address here is how we as educators (and I include myself quite conveniently as the author!) can change this in a long lasting way.