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Letters of recommendation are essential for residency applications. Traditionally, narrative letters have been used. Standardized letters of recommendation (SLOR) have been developed and have benefits to the writer and reader. The goal was to develop an informative, meaningful, and efficient SLOR for the radiology residency Match and to assess its early use.An Association of University Radiologists (AUR) Research and Education Venture Fund Grant was awarded for the development of a SLOR for use in the radiology residency Match. Grant recipients developed the letter and modifications were based on feedback from the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER) SLOR task force and a larger task force including additional AUR and Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR) members. AUR and APDR members were surveyed in 2020 to assess the radiology SLOR.The radiology SLOR became available for use in September 2018. It highlights the top six traits or abilities deemed most valued in a resident candidate and guides the writer to develop a concrete narrative. Top perceived benefits of the Radiology SLOR are ease of reading and interpretation. Top perceived drawbacks are an impersonal format and concerns regarding program directors' perceptions of the new SLOR. SLOR utilization increased in the second year of availability.The radiology SLOR was developed and first used in 2018. Its use increased over two years and will likely continue to increase given the perceived benefits and increasing awareness of the SLOR.

To analyze the trends in international medical graduates (IMGs) matching into diagnostic radiology residency programs in the United States (US).The National Resident Match Program data was accessed for years 2005-2020 and diagnostic radiology residency-specific data was extracted for US MD, osteopathic (DO), and IMG applicants. IMGs were categorized into US-citizen IMGs and non-US citizen IMGs per the National Residency Match Program. Variables collected for each year included the number of positions, number of applicants in each group, positions filled/unfilled, and fill rate of each group. Additional data for some years included USMLE Step 1 score, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 clinical knowledge (CK) score, number of research experiences, number of abstracts/publications, and additional degrees obtained. Trends were analyzed using simple linear regression model and p value0.05 was considered significant.The number of diagnostic radiology residency programs increased from 203 (2006) to 212 (2020). The total number of diagnostic radiology residency positions increased from 1011 (2006) to 1113 (2020), with the peak of 1145 in 2014. The overall "match rate," that is, proportion of positions filled to positions available, increased from 96.4% (2006) to 97.3% (2020), with a brief decline to 86.7% in 2015. Among the filled positions, the proportion filled by US medical school graduates significantly declined from 89.7% (2006) to 69.2% (2020) (p0.001), and the proportion of positions filled by osteopathic seniors and graduates significantly increased from 2.2% (2006) to 15.1% (2020; p0.001). The proportion of US IMGs increased from 3.2% (2006) to 5.4% (2020), while the proportion of non-US IMGs increased from 4.4% (2006) to 9.4% (2020), with overall IMG match rate increased significantly from 7.6% to 14.9% (p = 0.009). The mean Step 1 scores of US IMGs and non-US IMGs were 238 and 237.3, and the mean Step 2 CK scores were 241.67 and 241, respectively. Cumulatively over the study period, a total of 736 US IMGs and 1051 non-US IMGs have matched into diagnostic radiology residency.There is an increasing proportion of IMGs, especially the non-US citizen IMGs, matching into US radiology residency programs in the last decade. Diagnostic radiology remains a competitive specialty evidenced by average USMLE scores higher than national average and research experiences of matched candidates.

Rationale and Objectives We created a radiology Escape Room, a competitive game where a team of players must discover clues and solve a mystery to escape a “locked” room. To succeed, players must collaborate and think critically and creatively. Our objectives were to provide a novel team-building activity, teach interesting content about radiology as a specialty, cultivate grit, and share the game with other programs. Materials and Methods Escape Rooms were held during orientation (BOOT Camp) for incoming radiology residents and for upper level residents and faculty with advanced content (four teams totaling 20 residents and faculty). We repeated the Escape Room 27 times for 144 residents from more than 10 countries at Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2018. Results Players were engaged and competitive. They were able to connect the activity to their future responsibilities – analyzing knowledge under pressure (being on call), communicating effectively (conveying results and recommendations), having the dexterity and motor skills required for physical puzzles (hand-on procedures), being able to multi-task and come up with differential diagnoses under extreme stress and time pressure (being on call). A post-RSNA survey confirmed satisfaction with the activity, with overall enjoyment receiving the highest rating. Conclusion It is feasible to create a portable, inexpensive Escape Room as a novel educational platform for radiology residents. Combining knowledge-based challenges and technical skills in a live-action game simulated a real-life situation in which vital patient information must be collected and reported concisely and accurately. A Game Guide is available to program directors and medical educators upon request.

We are in the midst of an evolving educational revolution. Use of digital devices such as smart phones and tablet computers is rapidly increasing among radiologists who now regularly use them for medical, technical, and administrative tasks. These electronic tools provide a wide array of new tools to the radiologists allowing for faster, more simplified, and widespread distribution of educational material. The utility, future potential, and limitations of some these powerful tools are discussed in this article.

Increasing use of smartphones and handheld computers is accompanied by a rapid growth in the other related industries. Electronic books have revolutionized the centuries-old conventional books and magazines markets and have simplified publishing by reducing the cost and processing time required to create and distribute any given book. We are now able to read, review, store, and share various types of documents via several electronic tools, many of which are available free of charge. Additionally, this electronic revolution has resulted in an explosion of readily available Internet-based educational resources for the residents and has paved the path for educators to reach out to a larger and more diverse student population.

Residency recruitment is a critical and expensive process. A program's Web site may improve recruitment, but little is known about how applicants use program sites or what constitutes optimal content. The importance of an interview day and interactions with a program's residents has been described, but candidate preferences for various activities and schedules have not been widely reported. We investigated contemporary use and perceived utility of information provided on radiology program Web sites, as well as preferences for the interview day experience.Using an anonymous cross-sectional survey, we studied 111 candidates who were interviewed between November 1, 2012 and January 19, 2013 for a diagnostic radiology residency position at our institution. Participation in this institutional review board-approved study was entirely voluntary, and no identifying information was collected. Responses were sealed and not analyzed until after the match.A total of 70 candidates returned a completed survey (63% response rate). Optimal content considered necessary for a "complete" Web site was identified. The most important factor in deciding where to apply was geographical connection to a program. "AuntMinnie" was the most popular source of program information on social media. Candidates overwhelmingly preferred one-on-one faculty interviews but had no preference between a Saturday and weekday schedule. The ideal interview experience should include a "meet and greet" with residents off campus and a personal interview with the program director. The overall "feel" or "personality" of the program was critical to a candidate's rank order decision.Our findings offer insight into what factors make programs appealing to radiology applicants. This information will be useful to medical educators engaged in career counseling and recruitment.

Increasing use of smartphones and handheld computers is accompanied by a rapid growth in the other related industries. Electronic books have revolutionized the centuries-old conventional books and magazines markets and have simplified publishing by reducing the cost and processing time required to create and distribute any given book. We are now able to read, review, store, and share various types of documents via several electronic tools, many of which are available free of charge. Additionally, this electronic revolution has resulted in an explosion of readily available Internet-based educational resources for the residents and has paved the path for educators to reach out to a larger and more diverse student population.

We are in the midst of an evolving educational revolution. Use of digital devices such as smart phones and tablet computers is rapidly increasing among radiologists who now regularly use them for medical, technical, and administrative tasks. These electronic tools provide a wide array of new tools to the radiologists allowing for faster, more simplified, and widespread distribution of educational material. The utility, future potential, and limitations of some these powerful tools are discussed in this article.