The Fine Lines Between Confidence, Overconfidence, and Ignorance.

In a field in which no single person knows everything, the effective management of ignorance becomes an imperative.

In-Person Interactivity's Vital Role in Radiology Education.

It is important, especially as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, to revisit some of the most important advantages of highly interactive forms of medical education, especially face-to-face encounters between educators and learners. It may cost more and require a greater commitment on the part of teaching faculty, but a case can be made that the advantages of such educational approaches outweigh any increased costs.

Physician Burnout in Radiology: Perspectives From the Field.

Physician burnout is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis given the impact of burnout on physicians, their families, patients, communities, and population health. The COVID-19 pandemic has superimposed a new set of challenges for physicians to navigate, including unique challenges presented to radiologists. Radiologists from a diversity of backgrounds, practice settings, and career stages were asked for their perspectives on burnout.

The Need for an Ecologic Understanding of Radiology Practice.

OBJECTIVE. Many models have been used to understand radiology practice, including economics, engineering, and information technology. Each has advantages, but each also has drawbacks, failing to illuminate important aspects of radiologists' work. A model that offers additional insights is ecology. CONCLUSION. By looking at radiology practice through the ecologic concept of symbiosis, radiologists can gain new understanding and appreciation of aspects of their work that can render it more fruitful and sustainable.

The Radiologist as Hunger Artist.

OBJECTIVE. Radiologists often think in terms of metaphors drawn from business, politics, and informatics, but literature can offer equally important insights. CONCLUSION. Kafka's short story "A Hunger Artist" is the tale of a man who does not care for the food he is given and so starves. The same can happen to radiologists: even in the midst of plenty, if key ingredients in the recipe for professional fulfillment are missing, radiologists may find themselves wasting away.

Trust: The Foundation of Radiologic Excellence.

OBJECTIVE. Although trust is a topic infrequently discussed at professional meetings and in professional journals, it constitutes the foundation of radiologic excellence. Trust is an attribute of persons; it cannot be attained by technology. CONCLUSION. Clarifying the meaning of trust and understanding how it is built up and lost and the steps radiologists can take to enhance trust are vital professional missions.

Balancing Narrow and Broad Perspectives in Radiology.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to help radiologists achieve a balance between narrow and broad perspectives in their work. CONCLUSION. There are two fundamentally different perspectives from which radiologists can work: narrow and broad. Both have important roles, yet if the balance between these perspectives shifts excessively in one direction or the other, problems can arise. By understanding the respective strengths and weaknesses of each perspective, radiologists can achieve a more appropriate balance between them.

The Hippocratic Oath: A Radiologic Perspective.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to revisit the Hippocratic Oath, the oldest extant document of medical ethics, and refamiliarize ourselves with the foundation of our profession of radiology. CONCLUSION. Many radiologists have taken the Hippocratic Oath. However, for many, it has been years, even decades, since they last read it. At a time when the field of radiology is undergoing rapid changes, it is important for radiologists to ponder the ethical foundation of radiology.

How Safety Can Undermine Creativity.

OBJECTIVE. Safety and creativity are important but are not entirely convergent medical goals: Physicians are responsible to avoid harm, but progress in medicine requires creativity and risk taking. To strike the appropriate balance between the two, radiologists need to understand potential points of tension between them, ensuring that neither completely overrides the other. CONCLUSION. For medical discovery and innovation to thrive in the future, we need to foster a culture that prizes habits of thinking outside the box, posing novel questions, and taking risks. Caution and safety are important but so too are courage and imagination. If our understanding is ever to reach a higher level, we must be willing to let go of the rung to which we are clinging.

Dementia Care in Radiology.

OBJECTIVE. Much of the radiology literature on dementia naturally focuses on the use of imaging for diagnosis. However, dementia presents other important challenges for radiology. One of the most important stems from the projected large increase in the number of patients with dementia who will be presenting for care in radiology departments. CONCLUSION. It is important, and increasingly so, that patient-facing radiology personnel understand dementia and the special needs of patients with dementia and their caregivers.

Radiology as Personal Knowledge.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of radiology learners building a personal knowledge of radiology through observation, trial and error, and meaningful interaction with educators rather than through memorization of rules and algorithms. CONCLUSION. To become a radiologist is to join a community, one shaped by countless predecessors and educators, including many whose distinctive contributions remain unknown. More-experienced radiologists have a crucial role in challenging learners and showing what knowledge, skill, experience, and judgment look like in practice, as opposed to on a page or in a diagram. Radiology educators must ensure that mere data transmission never supplants the "why" of becoming a radiologist.

The Perils of Perfectionism.

OBJECTIVE. The purposes of this article are to describe the perfectionism that occurs among radiologists and to propose methods of assuaging it. CONCLUSION. Perfectionism can take a great toll on radiologists and those they work with. Only by setting realistic expectations and learning from failure is genuine professional fulfillment possible.

Transgender Patients: What Radiologists Need to Know.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this article are to examine a few of the barriers the transgender population faces in achieving equitable health care, to suggest ways radiologists and radiology staff can help to address these obstacles and provide high-quality care to transgender patients, and to discuss a number of evidence-based guidelines regarding appropriate imaging and screening tests for the transgender population. CONCLUSION: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals face numerous health care disparities, including stigmatization and discrimination in health care environments. Radiology personnel can help to remove such barriers by providing a welcoming clinical environment, practicing cultural humility, and staying up-to-date with rapidly changing recommendations related to transgender care. Continued research will help to provide even stronger evidence-based guidelines for transgender care.

Fear of Cancer Recurrence: What Radiologists Should Know.

OBJECTIVE: Fear of cancer recurrence is both more common and more complex than many radiology personnel may suspect. CONCLUSION: By gaining a deeper understanding of such fears, radiologists and other health care professionals can provide care that better reflects and meets the needs of such patients.