Get Involved (In Societies!): A Guide for Radiologists-To-Be
If you are a radiology resident or fellow or you are a medical student interested in pursuing radiology, you should know that there are a gazillion opportunities for you to become actively involved in radiology societies and benefit from a plethora of educational resources that they offer for FREE. The highlights were outlined in a paper published in the American Journal of Roentgenology in 2017. This post is an updated online version with lots of handy links.
This post is not just for trainees – it’s also for medical student clerkship directors, radiology residency program directors, radiology fellowship directors, vice chairs of education, clinician educators, and anyone else who is in a position to advise and mentor trainees.
If you are still in school or in a training program, I know you are busy 
just trying to keep up with studying, exams, clinical duties, and preparing/interviewing for the next career step (it’s a never-ending cycle). So, why should you spend your precious free time getting involved in societies? There are lots of reasons!
You will be able to:
- Meet people who can help you with your career (this is first on the list for a reason)
- Participate in activities that can be logged on your CV
- Serve on radiology committees and subcommittees (see above)
- Travel to meetings
- Access radiology blogs, journal articles, e-books, and more for FREE
- Be a deputy editor or associate editor of a radiology journal
- Learn how to review radiology journal articles from expert radiology editors
- Apply for grants and scholarships (created for YOU)
- Access hundreds of radiology job postings
- Access a virtual 2-week radiology curriculum for medical students
- Apply for fellowships in journalism, quality & safety, health policy, government relations, physics, and informatics
- Enroll in a leadership course
- Participate in online forums
- Participate in radiology journal clubs
- Access radiology fellowship directories
- Access radiology membership directories
- Learn how to be a better teacher
- Learn how to apply to radiology residency and fellowship programs
There are literally dozens of radiology societies (and I’m just talking about those in the U.S.). I’ve attempted to outline the opportunities these societies provide for medical students, residents, and fellows. Most of the information is available on each society’s website and I’ve provided links when they were available. If I missed a society, it wasn’t intentional and I would be happy to add it to the list if you want to send me the information.
The BIG 5
The following societies are included in the BIG 5 because they are the largest radiology societies in the U.S. and/or because they do not cater to one clinical subspecialty. I’ve listed them in random order, not according to any type of hierarchy. I’ve been an active participant in all of them (including serving as past president of the AUR and the APDR) and view each with high regard.
RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) 
- World’s largest radiologic organization with over 50,000 members (including over 19,000 members-in-training)
- Free membership for medical students and members-in-training (including international)
- Access to RSNA-affiliated journals including RadioGraphics, Radiology, Radiology: Artificial Intelligence, Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, and Radiology: Imaging Cancer
- Free registration to annual meeting (includes trainee-specific events)
- Third- and 4th-year radiology residents (within 3 years of completion of residency or fellowship) are eligible to enroll in the RadioGraphics mentored reviewer program
- Members-in-training may be appointed to numerous select committees
- Residents and fellows can serve as Deputy Editors and Associate Editors for Radiology in Training
- One-year Resident/fellow research grant ($30,000 for resident, $50,000 for fellow)
- The William W. Olmsted Editorial Fellowship for Trainees is for residents and fellows in training interested in scholarly publication and editorial processes
- Medical Student research grant recipients receive $3,000, which is matched by the sponsoring department, equaling $6,000 total
- Career Connect posts radiology jobs and offers articles on career coaching and resume writing
- Educational content for trainees, such as the Entrustable Professional Activity – Breast Radiology (EPA-BR) (comprehensive outline of breast imaging skills, and links to educational resources such as articles, videos, and interactive PowerPoints) and the National Imaging Informatics Curriculum and Course – Radiology (NIIC-RAD) (week-long, online course open to any individual professional, resident, student, practice or institution, intended to introduce the fundamentals of imaging informatics), and the RSNA Public Information Committee Patient-Centered Care Trainee Modular Interactive Learning Set
- A complete guide to RSNA opportunities for trainees was published in RadioGraphics: A Radiology Trainee’s Guide to Unique Opportunities Offered by the Radiological Society of North America
ACR (American College of Radiology) 
- Nearly 40,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, medical physicists and allied health professionals
- Free membership for U.S. and Canadian Medical Students and U.S. and Canadian Members-in-Training (Transitional Residents, Residents, Radiology-related Fellows not yet in practice)
- Resident and Fellow programming at the annual ACR meeting
- Residents and fellows can volunteer to serve on ACR committees and subcommittees
- Complimentary publications for members: Journal of the American College of Radiology, ACR Bulletin, and the online Resident and Fellow news section written specifically for members-in-training
- Free educational activities: Daily Case in Point, monthly CME article in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), e-learning activities, Lung Cancer Screening education, and leadership training through the Radiology Leadership Institute (additional courses are offered at a discount to members)
- Free Radiology Well-Being Program assessment and associated tools
- ACR Career Center posts radiology jobs
- Access to Engage — a members-only online discussion forum
- Free subscriptions to e-newsletters and information on radiology, health care, research and advocacy
- Free access to RadiologyInfo.org and associated toolkits and materials
- Free access to the Online Fellowship Directory
- Free access to the Membership Directory
- Discounted student loan refinancing
- Lecture Series for LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) ED-24 Requirement to enhance the teaching and assessment skills of residents: Teaching Skills for Residents, Anatomy Instruction, Assessing Medical Students, Case Based Teaching, Conducting a Small Group Interactive Teaching Session, Engaging Medical Students, How To Enhance Lecturing: Eight Questions, Instructing Medical Students On the Selection of Appropriate Imaging Procedures, Medical Student Mentoring, Optimizing Your Slides, Preparing Patients For Imaging Procedures, Problem Based Learning, Tips for Writing
- The ACR RFS (Resident and Fellow Section) provides numerous opportunities for trainees to participate in the ACR and access trainee educational resources; trainees can subscribe to the ACR RFS blog and access free Chest Radiology CPI (Continuous Performance Improvement) e-books
- The ACR RFS facilitates 2 journal clubs, on the topics of Artificial Intelligence and Economics, allowing trainees the opportunity to interact directly with ACR leaders
- Seven trainees fellowships include the Bruce J. Hillman, MD, Fellowship in Scholarly Publishing, E. Stephen Amis, Jr., MD, Fellowship in Quality and Safety, James M. Moorefield, MD, Fellowship in Economics & Health Policy, Rutherford-Lavanty Fellowship in Government Relations, Valerie P. Jackson, MD, Education Fellowship, Richard L. Morin, PhD, Fellowship in Medical Physics, and the Fellowship in Informatics in addition to the RLI Leadership Summit Scholarship, Data Science Institute Travel Grant, and Goldberg-Reeder Resident Travel Grant
- A Medical Student Hub lists numerous opportunities and resources including a two-week virtual radiology curriculum for medical students, an extensive guide for applying to radiology residency, and medical student scholarships and internships
ARRS (American Roentgen Ray Society) 
- Founded in 1900, the first and oldest radiology society in the United States
- Free Membership for U.S. and international in-training members, including residents or fellows in a radiology, interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology or nuclear medicine program, or a student in a medical school program or radiology-related science or allied science program (benefits listed on this page)
- Online subscription to the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), InPractice news magazine, and ARRS InPractice Insight e-newsletter
- Free registration to the Annual Meeting
- Free in-training lectures on topics such as leadership skills for residents, job interview skills, work-life balance and more
- Complimentary Web Lectures available on-demand
- Discount on case-based review courses
- Discount on case-based imaging review books ($155 for bundle of 4)
- Professional committees & volunteer opportunities (specific in-training member opportunities aren’t listed but questions can be directed to: volunteer@arrs.org)
- Quick Bytes (20-minute videos on emerging topics in radiology)
- ITAR (Introduction to Academic Radiology) course introduces residents to academic radiology early in their residencies ($1,000 award made to the departments of accepted applicants who attend the program at the ARRS meeting)
- ARRS Resident/Fellow in Radiology Awards available to residents and fellows to present their work at the ARRS Annual Meeting
- ARRS Career Center posts radiology jobs and offers advanced job searching options and optional email alerts of new jobs
AUR (Association of University Radiologists) 
- Over 1,600 academic radiologists, residents, and fellows
- Free membership for all trainees in ACGME (Accreditation Council For Graduate Medical Education)-approved radiology residency programs or fellowships (junior member) as well as all medical students in LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education)-approved medical schools (student member)
- Junior membership includes discounted annual meeting registration and a print and online subscription of Academic Radiology
- Student membership includes discounted annual meeting registration
- A3CR2 Research Award: Eligible to residents who are both the primary author and the presenter of an accepted abstract
- AMSER Henry Goldberg Medical Student Award: presented annually to a medical student who submits an outstanding abstract for a paper, poster, or electronic exhibit for presentation at the AUR Annual Meeting
- AUR Trainee Prizes: Eligible to any student, resident or fellow who is both the primary author and the presenter of an accepted abstract
- Whitley Award: A certificate along with a $1,000 honorarium in honor of Joseph E. Whitley, MD, and his wife, Nancy, is awarded annually to the person who presents and submits the best radiologic educational paper
- Memorial Award: presented annually to the medical student, radiology resident, or first year radiology fellow who submits an outstanding original paper on any aspect of radiology
- Radiology Alliance for Health Services Research (RAHSR) – Harvey L. Neiman Award: presented annually to any student, resident, fellow, or AUR member who submits an outstanding abstract on radiology socioeconomics or health services research for presentation at the AUR Annual Meeting
- Free access to Diagnostic Radiology Resident Core Curriculum Lecture Series: a series of 20-30 minute lectures created specifically for radiology trainees
- Free access to Educational Scholarship Webinar Series designed to enhance skills in educational research and scholarship
- Free access to Professionalism and Ethics Competencies for Radiology Residents (series of short videos that address the different Professionalism and Ethics Competencies as described by the ACGME)
- Free online access to annual meeting presentations and posters
- AUR Radiology Resident Academic Leadership Development (ARRALD) Program: focused mentorship, leadership, and academic development activities to a group of high-potential second-year (PGY-3) radiology residents; participation is determined by a nomination process
- Research Scholar Program: full day program offers health policy research curriculum, scholar presentations and focused mentoring sessions for residents and fellows who have a background and interest in scientific, health services and health policy research; twenty travel stipends of $1,000 are awarded to the participant institutions; participation is determined by a nomination process
- Participation in AUR Affinity Groups (complimentary with AUR membership) (includes The American Alliance of Academic Chief Residents in Radiology (A3CR2) whose mission is to develop leadership skills in chief residents, to foster the collaboration of chief residents with each other and with the leaders of academic radiology, and to advance the interests of radiology residents in the affairs of organized medicine)
- A3CR2 annual survey results (covers moonlighting, call structure, core exam, stipends and other resident benefits, and many other topics of interest to residents)
APDR (Association of Program Directors in Radiology) 
- Organization of radiology residency and fellowship program directors and coordinators with the common goal of optimizing the trainee educational experience
- Free membership for physicians who are in approved radiology residencies and fellowships (Note: although there is a medical student information page, it does not state that medical students are eligible for membership)
- In-training members can serve on committees
- Free access to meeting presentations (such as updates from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Radiology)
- Residents seeking positions page (e.g., “I’m currently a US Grad PGY2 ENT resident in good standing seeking to switch into a PGY2/R1 radiology position”)
- Residency positions available page
- Fellowship positions available page
- Extensive list of online trainee education resources, including YouTube videos of APDR virtual resident noon conferences
By actively engaging in society committees, you will have access to the leaders in radiology (in your specialty area of interest) who can write letters of recommendation and enhance your career development.
That covers the big general U.S. radiology societies. If you have a particular interest in a radiology subspecialty area, I urge you to check out that specialty society’s website. Many offer free membership for trainees (including medical students and international students/residents), which confers benefits such as e-subscriptions to their society journal and online newsletters, online access to course lectures from annual meetings and discussion forums, society directory access, free or discounted meeting registration fees, eligibility for travel grants to their annual meeting, eligibility for trainee scholarships and awards, and access to fellowship listings, job postings, and volunteer opportunities. By actively engaging in society committees, you will have access to the leaders in radiology (in your specialty area of interest) who can write letters of recommendation and enhance your career development.
Radiology specialty societies:
Note: If you’re interested in a particular specialty, I suggest that you browse through their society’s website and become familiar with the opportunities available to you.
American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR)
American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER)
American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)
American Society of Head and Neck Radiology (ASHNR)
International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)
Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM)
Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR)
Society for Advanced Body Imaging (SABI) (formerly the Society of Computed Body Tomography & Magnetic Resonance (SCBT-MR))
Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR)
Society of Breast Imaging (SBI)
Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI)
American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM)
Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU)
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM)
Society of Skeletal Radiology (SSR)
Society of Thoracic Radiology (STR)
North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging (NASCI)
Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT)