Applied Radiology

BRACCO "LEADERS ON THE HORIZON" EDUCATIONAL GRANT: MRI WINNER

Applied Radiology asked each of the award winners to comment on his experience participating in the Bracco "Leaders on the Horizon" Resident Program.

Luis C. Maas, MD, PhD

The RSNA conference in Chicago is an event that every resident should have the opportunity to see at least once during training. Not only does its sheer size impress, but the breadth of the scientific program makes it clear without a doubt that progress in radiology is expanding rapidly in all directions. To meet so many people from so many places with so many interesting ideas is genuinely exciting, if at times nearly overwhelming. This is also reflected, on a smaller scale, within the Bracco "Leaders on the Horizon" program itself, where the opportunity to meet and discuss radiology with the other participants, the editorial staff of Applied Radiology , and the program sponsors provides rewarding insights into the future of radiology from many perspectives. Thus, my participation in this program was a uniformly positive experience.

Writing the manuscript for this program was also a valuable undertaking. Prior to beginning, I knew very little about my topic, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), or its applications, so listening to talks and reviewing posters at the conference served as a "crash course" in the subject. Upon returning home, I was fortunate to work with two very helpful individuals with a research interest in DTI, Dr. Pratik Mukherjee, a neuroradiologist, and Dr. Roland Henry, a research scientist. Preparing this manuscript gave me an opportunity to get to know these researchers and to better understand the work that was under way at my institution, which, in turn, has led to an original research project in which I am now participating.

I have several recommendations for future participants in this program. First, find a good mentor. Finding someone who is also interested in your topic will make the entire experience more rewarding. Second, make a plan for your visit to Chicago. Since so many things are going on at once, some at opposite ends of the convention center, it is important to lay out in advance which sessions you want to attend. Finally, have fun! The RSNA conference is not just about science. There are many interesting events to attend and many interesting people to meet while in Chicago.