Submission ID 118570
| Issue/Objective | Radiology is central to diagnosing and managing conditions ranging from tuberculosis and maternal complications to cancer and trauma. Yet, according to global health estimates, some low-income countries have fewer than 1 radiologist per million people, compared to over 100 per million in high-income countries. This staggering workforce gap highlights the urgent need for global radiology leadership, education, and collaboration. However, the views of residency program directors-those responsible for shaping training and curricula-remain largely undocumented. This study aimed to assess program directors' perspectives on the relevance of GHI, identify barriers to implementation, and explore opportunities for academic engagement. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A national bilingual survey was distributed to program directors from all 16 English- and French-speaking radiology residency programs in Canada. Questions addressed views on GHI, curricular practices, faculty involvement, perceived barriers, and resident interest. A quantitative analysis was performed to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder training in global health imaging (GHI). |
| Results | 14 program directors from 13 of the 16 (81%) radiology residency programs in Canada completed the survey. Most directors (73.3%) considered radiology very important or absolutely essential to global health, and 53.3% rated formal GHI training as very important. While 66.7% reported some faculty involvement in global radiology, only 26.7% of programs include GHI topics in the curriculum, and just 13.3% have offered a global radiology elective. Notably, 60.0% of directors noted that applicants or current/former residents had expressed interest in GHI. Common barriers to integration included lack of faculty expertise (73.3%), absence of national competencies (60.0%), and limited curriculum time (60.0%). Still, 80.0% viewed global health as a valid academic career path in radiology, and the same percentage considered it a rigorous academic field. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Program directors support the role of radiology in global health and recognize growing interest among trainees. However, few programs offer structured opportunities due to persistent curricular and institutional barriers. These results highlight the need for faculty development, national education standards, and dedicated curriculum time to expand GHI training and support radiologists' engagement in global health initiatives. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Charles-Antoine Boucher Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Mehrshad Bakhshi Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Marie-Xinyi Sun Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Tharshanna Nadarajah Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Ralph Nelson Department of Diagnostic Radiology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Karl Muchantef Department of Diagnostic Radiology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Josephine Pressacco Department of Diagnostic Radiology, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
