RFS Membership
Residents and fellows are eligible for free membership to the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Indiana Radiological Society (IRS) as Members-In-Training Members. As members of the IRS, Members-In-Training Members are welcome to attend the 2 IRS meetings held each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall, free of charge.
Visit the ACR membership page to sign up.
About the RFS
Created in 2013, the Resident and Fellow Section of the IRS aims to promote local and national ACR engagement amongst Indiana’s radiologists in training. Having exposure to the current issues in radiology and learning about advocacy and the ACR’s efforts to maintain and ensure a robust future for radiology are excellent opportunities for members in training.
The IRS provides a specific Members-In-Training session during its bi-annual meetings, giving RFS members one-on-one time with renown lecturers and leaders in the field of radiology. Some topics covered in the past have included what to look for in a job after graduating, how to evaluate a contract, and how to manage work-life balance. The IRS also provides scholarships for RFS members to learn more about leadership, advocacy, and the economics of radiology.
The RFS Executive Board consists of one resident representative per residency class. Each fall the incoming PGY2 class will select a representative to serve on the Executive Board as Treasurer. That representative then advances on to the Secretary position the next year as the PGY3 representative and then on to be President Elect as the PGY4 representative and finally to be President of the RFS section as the PGY 5 representative. These residents have the opportunity to attend the ACR Annual Meeting in Washington DC, each year free of charge.
The Annual ACR Meeting is held each spring and is an excellent opportunity to network, attend sessions created for Members-In-Training, and to learn about advocacy. While RFS officers automatically have the opportunity to attend this meeting, the IRS also provides funding for a few additional at-large resident representatives to travel to the Annual ACR Meeting each year.
Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities
As mentioned above, the IRS sponsors several at-large RFS members to attend the ACR Annual Meeting held in Washington, DC each spring. A request for applications for at-large representatives will typically be sent to RFS members at the beginning of the year via email.
The IRS also sponsors several IRS members – full members as well as RFS members- to attend the annual ACR Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Summit. The RLI is 2.5 day immersive weekend conference held each fall in Boston that delivers professional development programming, leadership skills training, and networking opportunities for radiologists at every career stage. Led by world-renown radiologists and business experts, the sessions help residents and practicing radiologists alike to advance their careers and equip them with tools and strategies to meet business and leadership challenges. A request for applications will typically be sent to RFS members in the spring via email.
In addition to those opportunities sponsored by the IRS, the ACR also offers RFS members the opportunity to apply for various paid fellowships and scholarships. They are listed below:
- Rutherford-Lavanty Fellowship (Government Relations Fellowship; PGY2 and PGY3)
Founded to provide radiology residents with direct exposure to ACR government relations activities, the Rutherford-Lavanty Fellowship was named for J.T. Rutherford, the first ACR lobbyist.The fellowship is a one week program that informs fellows about the historical background of ACR congressional activities and that provides fellows exposure to the ACR Government Relations divisions, highlighting how the ACR advocacy efforts are related to the other activities of the ACR. It provides fellows an understanding of state and federal legislative and regulatory processes and the ACR’s role therein. It also informs residents about governmental factors that play important roles in shaping the future of radiology.*If an RFS member is not awarded this fellowship from the ACR, an RFS applicant can be sponsored by the IRS. For more information, visit Government Relations Fellowship page. - James M. Moorefield, MD, Fellowship (Economics and Health Policy; PGY3 and PGY 4)
Founded to provide radiology residents with direct exposure to the ACR’s economic activities, this is a 2 week fellowship, with one virtual week and one week in Reston, VA. The Economics and Health Policy department is responsible for all ACR activities involving reimbursement and health policy issues that affect the practice of radiology, radiation oncology, interventional radiology, and medical physics. Residents will assume work duties that will contribute to the Economics and Health Policy department and are expected to complete an evaluation and write an article describing their experience for submission to the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) or ACR Bulletin.One fellow is selected each year. The fellowship is arranged with the fellow’s residency program director to accommodate his/her training schedule. The fellow will receive a $750 stipend after completing the fellowship. Travel and expenses during the fellowship are paid for by the ACR. Applications are online on the ACR website. For more information, visit Economics and Health Policy Fellowship page. - E. Stephen Amis, Jr., MD, Fellowship (Quality and Safety; PGY2, PGY3, PGY 4)
This 2 week fellowship provides residents an opportunity to learn about the work that the ACR does to promote and support Quality and Safety. The fellowship is split into two sessions, with a one week virtual session in the fall while the ACR Practice Parameters are being drafted and with a one week in-person session at the ACR Annual Meeting in the spring when the Practice Parameters are debated and approved. Fellows have the opportunity to meet with key ACR staff and leaders. Fellowship recipients are required to write a paper on a specific ACR activity for submission to an acceptable medical journal or to complete a project in an area of ACR Quality and Safety.Three fellows are selected each year. The ACR reimburses travel and living expenses incurred during both periods of the fellowship and provides a $500 stipend. Half the stipend is paid with expenses for the first week and the remaining half is paid upon publication of an article. Applications are online on the ACR website. For more information, visit Quality and Safety Fellowship page. - Informatics Fellowship (Radiology residents and early-career radiologists)
Founded to provide residents and young/early career professionals with hands-on experience in the field of informatics, this fellowship introduces its fellows to initiatives of the Data Science Institute, the ACR AI-LAB, and other ACR Informatics projects. It is a 2 week fellowship and the timing of the sessions are arranged with the fellows and their supervisors to accommodate their training and work schedules. At the close of the fellowship the fellows will write and submit an informatics white paper.In addition to covering the fellow’s travel and living expenses, the ACR provides a $500 stipend. Applications are online on the ACR website. For more information, visit Informattics Fellowship page. - Richard L. Morin, PhD, Fellowship (Medical Physics; residents)
Founded to support the development of young medical physicists, the fellowship provides medical physics residents hands-on experience with the ACR. Fellows spend one week in Reston, VA in the fall and attend the Annual ACR Meeting in the spring. Fellowship recipients are required to complete a project or publish an article.Up to 2 residents are selected each year. In addition to fully funding the week in Reston, VA and the ACR Annual Meeting, the ACR will also provide a $500 stipend. Applications are online on the ACR website. For more information, visit Medical Phystics Fellowship page. - Goldberg-Reeder Resident Travel Grant
Created to encourage international volunteer service among members-in- training, the ACR Foundation Global Health Travel Grants are awarded to residents and fellows who are seeking to spend at least one month assisting health care in a developing country. Grant recipients are required to provide photos of their experience and agree to be interviewed about their experience by various ACR publications. Recipients will also provide a report summarizing the impact of their visit on them and the facility. It should also focus on what goals were met and/or what needs are still ongoing for the program at that institution.Applications are online on the ACR website. For more information, visit Resident International Travel page. - RLI Emerging Leader Scholarship (Health Policy; PGY3, PGY4 and Fellows)
This scholarship was created for trainees who have demonstrated a strong interest in leadership and who have shown promise to both become leaders in our field and to also contribute to the future of radiology. As part of the annual ACR Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Summit, the scholarship offers an intense, immersive course in medical leadership and the business aspects of radiology. For more information, visit RLI Emerging Leader Scholarship page. - Neiman Institute Fellowship in Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy Research (fellows and junior faculty)
Founded to provide fellows and early career members an opportunity to gain experience in clinical effectiveness and health policy research, this fellowship aims to foster new researchers who will provide evidence to inform health policy and radiology practice that will promote effective and efficient use of health care resources and improve patient care. Fellows will engage in a research project during their fellowship year, working with mentors and collaborating scientists with expertise in health economics, decision sciences, health services research, operations and optimization research, data science and biostatistics. They will learn and apply health services research methods focused on demonstrating the value of imaging through measured clinical and cost outcomes as well as understanding its impact on health policy. Applications are on the ACR website. For more informaiton, visit Health Policy Fellowship page.
