Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR

RSNA, for me, is about so many opportunities: great scientific content, the latest technology, but so importantly, the opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues, both old and new.

) and I first met as part of our radiology Twitter community, but #RSNA13 provided us an opportunity to meet face to face. We bonded over our unsuitable 

 and I’ve followed her career with great interest. This year, I was delighted to see her face on the wall of RSNA grant awardees for her web based virtual radiology 

. I was delighted that we were able to find a few minutes in both of our busy schedules to learn more about this exciting initiative.

Rise aims to bring world class radiology education to parts of the world that might not otherwise have access to it. Bhavya is a neuroradiologist at UCSF who lives in Palo Alto, so was able to tap both her own coding expertise and the technology community in which she lives to build the infrastructure for the program. She’s found a willing faculty among her UCSF colleagues but also plans to have her international students develop content to share back to the US based on their unique experiences.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"43877","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_7746232411083","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"4868","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"float: right;","title":"Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]

The word “Seva” in Hindi means “selfless service.” When I asked Bhavya about the origins of her commitment to global health, she responded “it came from my grandfather, he used to talk to us all the time about the concept of ‘Seva’.” Bhavya’s commitment to bringing radiology expertise to trainees across the globe would certainly make her grandfather proud.

Another Twitter connection story has me leaving 

 with a bag full of Lego. Yes, you read that right. Dr. Ben Taragin (

), a pediatric radiologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York first approached me by e-mail to ask me how he could publicize his idea for a Lego kit that could help children deal with the stress of having an MRI.  

Ben built the prototype with his son and the kit allows a kid to build their own MRI machine. Hopefully it can help reduce the anxiety associated with the exam. I loved the idea and tweeted it. Another member of our radiology Twitter community, Dr. Erik Ranschaert (

), from Belgium was able to make the connection with a Lego certified professional Dirk Denoyelle (

Several hundred kits were distributed at RSNA and I’m lucky to be taking one home with me. Now all I have to do is build it! It’s great to know that Ben’s care and empathy for our smallest patients has been amplified by our radiology community both near and far.

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CHICAGO-Leveraging RSNA and social media can make great things happen in radiology.

RSNA and Twitter, a Powerful Pair

There is nothing like it. Thousands of people streaming through the halls of McCormick Place from all over the world looking for the latest in imaging science and technology, and connecting our community for one crazy week. It’s a chance to learn new things and meet old friends. The excitement about our profession and the ways in which we can influence the health of our patients and our population was palpable and certainly kept me going though long days with miles of walking and a total of seven talks  that I gave throughout the week.

 started with what was for me a really special refresher course. I shared the podium with Drs. Dan Kopans and Carol Lee, two legends in the field, for the Breast Imaging State of the Union.  It has been 21 years since I was Dan’s Fellow at MGH and I felt so honored to be presenting with him. I’m committed to making sure that his passion and encyclopedic knowledge of the scientific support for mammography screening is passed on to a new generation of breast imaging leaders and we’re working together with many other breast imaging leaders to develop a program that will prepare radiologists to defend this life-saving program and ensure access for the women we serve.

 on how Radiologists are talking to patients about their results that featured the Radiology Cares and Imaging 3.0 concepts, and for which I was interviewed, was a really positive sign that our profession is coming out of the shadows. The other radiologist that contributed was Dr. Jennifer Kemp who leads the RSNA’s Patient-Centered Radiology steering committee. She spoke movingly about how the experience of her husband’s cancer treatment and the anxiety of waiting for results changed her view of whether radiologists should speak with patients. I was delighted that we were able to find a few moments to grab a drink and look for ways we can work together.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"30019","attributes":{"alt":"Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR ","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_7076925406881","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"3138","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"height: 241px; width: 160px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 1px; float: right;","title":"Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR ","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]

I chair an International Economics Group for the ACR that has recently published a 

 on practice patterns across our various countries and we typically have breakfast during the RSNA meeting. This year, we have added some members in training from France and Romania as well as from UCSF. It’s always a fascinating look at the similarities (doing more with less, aging populations) and the differences (no job shortages in Israel, France, and the UK!). Our next projects will focus on screening programs and the factors that impact medical students’ choice to go into radiology.

I’m one of the more active Tweeters at the meeting (

) which is a way to get the word out about sessions that I think will be great as well as to have some fun with our 

There is nothing like the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting. 

Author | Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR

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RSNA and Twitter, a Powerful Pair

The RSNA Buzz