INTRODUCTION: COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Isn't it interesting how situations change with time? Just a few years ago, I can recall how our Radiology residents and fellows struggled to find jobs, whether in academics or private practice. It was basically a seller's market, and academic practices essentially had the pick of the litter. Now we recognize that there is a serious, and perhaps long-term, shortage of radiologists, and literally hundreds of positions are available. For a variety of reasons, many of which are economic-based, fewer residents and fellows are choosing to focus their careers in academic Radiology.

In recognizing how difficult it is to recruit young and talented individuals, leaders of academic departments and of several radiological societies are carefully scrutinizing the infrastructure of academic Radiology. The key question is: What is the best way to expose residents and fellows to the benefits and rewards of a career focused on excellence through teaching and research? Several strategies are emerging, such as training programs with innovative curricula that include dedicated research time, grantsmanship programs, and seed grants, to name a few. It is clear that residents who have little or no experience with academic pursuits or genuine mentoring are more likely to choose private practice.

Bracco Diagnostics Inc., through an educational grant, has again provided an opportunity for ten residents to participate in a quality academic experience during a critical stage in their educational process. These residents were invited to the 2002 meeting of the RSNA, where they attended pertinent presentations on a CT or MRI topic of their choice. The residents used this information, along with a review of the literature, to produce original review papers, and these articles are presented in this supplement to Applied Radiology . We are grateful to Bracco Diagnostics for funding this endeavor, which is administered by Applied Radiology . This Bracco program is one of the many examples of the support that industry can, and does, provide in helping to build the academic infrastructure.

Five of the ten submitted papers focused on CT; Dr. Lawrence Tanenbaum and I were honored to review those papers. Although each resident clearly expended effort to provide a well thought-out overview on his or her specific topic, special recognition goes to Jim S. H. Wu, MD, from Yale New Haven Hospital, for his paper entitled Traumatic Aortic Injury: Diagnosis with CT Angiography. For his efforts, Dr. Wu will receive an unrestricted educational grant of $5,000 from Bracco Diagnostics. We thank all of the residents for their excellent work, and hope that they found this endeavor to be both memorable and rewarding.

Rendon C. Nelson, MD

Applied Radiology would like to thank our CT reviewers: Rendon C. Nelson, MD, Vice Chairman, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; and Lawrence N. Tanenbaum, MD, New Jersey Neuroscience Institute and Seton Hall University, Edison, NJ.