Transitioning through the Radiology Spectrum
A career in radiology is full of transitions. There is the transition from medical student to junior resident during the basic clinical training year; the transition from junior off-service resident to junior on-service resident; the transition to independent call; the transition from undifferentiated radiology resident to applying for fellowships; the transition to fellowship and to independent practice; and more! We already know our residency programs are amongst the best in the world; however, these important transitions can sometimes be overlooked.
My personal experiences throughout residency have reflected the immense challenges and rewards associated with the aforementioned experiences as I started independent call and now have become a more senior resident. The CAR Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) has already done excellent work in assisting with these experiences through the creation of the Transition to Radiology Residency document, the development of the job and fellowship database, and more. As Chair, my mission for the RFS is that we continue to support learners through important transitions by building upon these areas. I am happy to be a regular member of the CAR board where I can bring the residents’ voices forward.
Our group is currently in the final stages of creating a Royal College Examination preparation outline and recently completed a Pregnancy Guidelines: Common Questions resource document related to independent on call practice. We are also in the preliminary stages of working with a phenomenal group from Memorial University to better engage medical students in radiology interest groups, creating a resident elective database to complement the job and fellowship database, and collaborating with a partner of CAR, MD Financial Management, to create a comprehensive transition to practice curriculum for senior residents, fellows, and early career professionals.
These are exciting times to be a radiology trainee with tremendous opportunities on the horizon and exciting initiatives in the pipeline as we transition through the radiology spectrum.
Dr. Chahal entered medicine due a strong interest in health care systems, quality improvement, and advocacy. He is currently a third-year diagnostic radiology resident at the University of Alberta. Dr. Chahal has completed all his training at the University of Alberta, where he did three years of an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology before gaining acceptance to medical school. Dr. Chahal also completed an MBA at the Alberta School of Business between years two and three of medical school.
Personal interests
Outside of work and extracurriculars, Dr. Chahal tries to spend as much time as possible with his family and friends and enjoys watching or playing sports including hockey and martial arts.
Get involved, join the Resident and Fellow Section. The CAR RFS welcomes feedback and are always looking for ideas for improvement or opportunities for collaboration.