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Steps to Develop a State Chapter RFS
Outlined below are suggested steps that may be helpful when starting a
state chapter. These are simply guidelines and are open to modification
as each chapter may face different hurdles compared to others.
Guidelines are broken down into four categories: (1) Establishing a new
RFS outlines early steps to lay groundwork for chapter formation; (2)
Implementation deals with organizing the chapter, formally establishing
chapter leadership, and recruiting RFS members; (3) Promotion outlines
the next steps for getting a chapter active; (4) Financing provides some
suggestions for securing additional funding resources for social events,
educational activities, etc.
Establishing a New Resident Fellow Section
The initial steps may vary widely according to the geographic size of
the state and number of programs within the state. Initial steps may
include:
Approach your state radiological society (ACR Chapter) with the idea of establishing a Resident and Fellow Section
It is extremely important to have the support of the existing state
chapter members behind the idea of establishing an RFS. The chapter
often may provide administrative support and in some cases financial
support for developing an RFS. Present to them the benefits of having an
RFS within the state.
Determine the Training Programs within the state of interest
- Contact the ACR to obtain a list of residents within the state of interest. ACR staff support is provided by Trina Zeberlein, Assistant Director, Member Services. Trina may be reached via e-mail at tzeberlein@acr.org or (800) 227-5463, ext 4998
- Use the American Medical Association (AMA) Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) which provides a list of accredited resident training programs in diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology, including contact information for program chairpersons or directors. This is particularly helpful for larger states which have multiple programs with significant geographic separation. Be wary that some of the contact information may be outdated, but it is a good starting place to identify training programs. (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html)
- The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) also lists accredited residency and fellowship training programs (http://www.acgme.org/adspublic)
Identify a contact person within in each training program
Once the programs within the state are identified, identify a contact
person within each training institution to notify about the plan to
establish a state RFS. Contact persons may include the department chair,
the program residency director, a program coordinator, chief resident,
or another resident or fellow within the program
- As mentioned above, the ACR can provide a list of residents at each training institution. Email residents directly at the program to recruit members.
- The Internet is an extremely valuable tool for finding current contact information within specific programs at the individual training institution sites. Use a search engine, such as Google (www.google.com) to search for specific institutions and locate home pages for the individual departments.
- Utilize resources within the state radiological society (ACR Chapter) to establish contacts and promote the idea of forming an RFS.
Make initial contact through an introduction letter
Send a letter outlining the intent to develop an RFS section to the
contact person(s) at the programs within the state. A shotgun approach
is often helpful. The letter may include highlights of issues currently
being addressed by the ACR RFS. Wait for responses and follow-up as
needed.
Implementation
The next steps will focus on chapter organization including developing
routes of communication, forming RFS leadership, and recruiting new
members.
Identify and recruit interested members to the RFS
Once individuals are identified that are interested in getting involved
and forming the RFS, it is important to recruit representatives to help
form the RFS. Some state chapters, especially those with geographic
separation and multiple training programs, are organized by
representatives at each institution. It is helpful to solicit two
residents, one more senior and one more junior, with leadership
qualities and interest in ACR issues to be the representatives at the
respective institutions. This ensures continuity once the senior
representative graduates.
Develop Chapter Leadership and an Executive Committee
It is important to encourage active participation from interested
members and recruit leadership positions for the RFS. Organizing a small
group of motivated individuals will make the group more successful than
if you try to single handedly organize the RFS chapter. Be sure to
delegate tasks and responsibilities within this small group. It is very
important to have the assistance of a senior chapter member (state
chapter liaison to the RFS) to give advice and assistance during the
early formation of the RFS. Ask the state chapter leadership to suggest
one interested member that can assist in conference calls and include
them in email communication. It would be beneficial to have one of the
state chapter executive committee members as the liaison to provide
feedback to the state chapter membership and executive committee.
Establish an RFS executive committee, including designated offices such
as President/Chair, Vice-President, Secretary, and others as needed.
Assign specific tasks to each office to divide responsibility.
(Guidelines for offices can be found in the Sample Guidelines document).
Establish regular routes of communication
Set up regular (but not too often to be burdensome) communication routes
between the executive committee and program representatives. This may be
in the form of conference calls (often the state chapter can assist with
the formalities of setting up conference calls). If geographically
possible, face-to-face meetings are the best way to accomplish things
early in the chapter formation. Alternatively, regular email
communication and distribution lists (with all representatives’ emails)
can be used and are very effective.
Plan for an Annual Meeting to coincide with the State Chapter Annual Meeting
The culmination of the RFS chapter formation should be a meeting that
coincides with the state chapter’s annual meeting. There is no
substitute for a face-to-face meeting which may include educational
programs, discussion and open forum time to address resident issues, and
RFS business related issues, such as elections. In addition, it is
important to discuss issues facing the ACR and ACR RFS to foster
discussion among attendees. Prior to the meeting, representatives should
try and recruit residents and fellows from their programs to attend the
meeting and become new members.
Promoting a New Resident Fellow Section
Once there is organization, governance, representation, and
communication established, it is time to promote the RFS and recruit new
members.
Regular communication
As mentioned under implementation, regular communication via conference
calls, emails, or periodic newsletters is effective to discuss topics of
interest to residents, including ACR issues, educational issues, and
resident related issues, such as call, residents’ benefits (i.e.
educational funds, etc) that may vary from program to program. Meeting
minutes should be regularly recorded by the Secretary and made available
for all RFS members to review.
Plan the Annual Meeting
One of the most effective ways of ensuring attendance is to provide a
program that is interesting to residents and fellows and one that may
not be part of the regular radiology curriculum. Some ideas may include
a session on job opportunities (private practice vs. academics), issues
related to private practice employment such as contracts and how to
evaluate potential employers, and a forum on legal liability. Make sure
to incorporate an open discussion forum and facilitate discussion with
important issues facing residents and fellows. It may be helpful to poll
attendees prior to the meeting through a questionnaire that targets
issues of interest which can serve as discussion topics, such as
self-referral, call-issues, moonlighting, and radiology education. A
successful annual meeting will ensure regular annual attendance and
assist in recruiting new members.
Encourage Attendance at the ACR Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference (AMCLC)
One of the goals of the RFS state chapters is to have as many delegates
as possible attend the ACR AMCLC (typically held in Washington D.C. in
the spring). This meeting often provides ideas and examples as a basis
for the state annual meeting. Ideally, one representative from each
program in the state should attend the annual meeting, however funding
for resident attendance may be an issue. Some states have been
successful in petitioning the individual programs to support a resident
financially to attend. The state chapter may assist in petitioning
department chairs to financially support resident and fellow attendance
at the AMCLC.
Plan other activities to recruit new members
Social or educational activities outside of the annual meeting are a
good way to promote the state RFS and recruit new members. Additional
financial support may be necessary for these activities (see Financing a
Resident and Fellow Section).
Develop a Web site
A web site for the RFS is also an effective way to promote the RFS and
recruit new members. The site can be part of the state chapter Web site,
or can be independent. In addition, some states have incorporated a
discussion forum specific to state issues.
Financing a Resident Fellow Section
Organization and implementation of a Resident Fellow Section does not
require a financial commitment from the state chapter, however it is
often helpful to have financial support from the chapter if possible.
Funding may be necessary for the annual meeting or other social and
educational activities.
Costs associated with the development and maintenance of a chapter RFS may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Staff support services and office supplies
- Regular meetings (including conference calls) of the RFS membership and Executive Committee
- Sponsorship or stipend allowance for resident or fellows to attend state annual chapter meetings
- Sponsorship of a chapter RFS delegate to the ACR AMCLC
- Production and distribution of newsletters and publications
- Conferences, local organizational meetings
- Resident workshops
Residents should be aware of all expenditures by the state chapter on
behalf of the RFS. Specific information regarding the costs associated
with various activities such as meetings, newsletters, mailing
brochures, etc. should be made available to the RFS. The RFS should have
the opportunity to provide input on the allocation of funds and the
implementation of an appropriate dues structure, if one is necessary. It
is recommended that you coordinate with your chapter regarding funding
for the RFS as the chapter is likely to have the infrastructure set-up
to accept and distribute funds from sponsoring organizations
Potential funding sources may include, but are not limited to:
- State chapter funds
- External sources, such as radiological equipment suppliers
- Dues
- Training programs
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