RADIOLOGY RESIDENTS RESEARCH IN CANADA - STATUS OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Objective: To survey all Canadian radiology residency training program s concerning their programs in research and critical inquiry, in order to assess the status of the research infrastructure for residents. Me thods: A questionnaire was developed through consensus among the radio logy research directors in Canadian training programs. Results: Fourte en of the 16 universities have a research and critical inquiry program , although there is considerable variation in the components and struc ture of the programs. Many programs do not have personnel, funds or wr itten guidelines for their operation. Didactic aspects of research, su ch as biostatistics, ethics and quality assurance, are widely taught a nd thought to be important. Similarly, there is widespread agreement o n which methods qualify for research projects, such as departmental au dits or retrospective chart reviews. However, except for requiring a p resentation at a research day, very few residency programs view resear ch work as essential to the completion of training. The commitment to research programs is strong, as evidenced by the time devoted by resid ents and mentors and the funds made available for presentations. Concl usion: This survey provides information to assist in the development o f individual programs and national guidelines for radiology residency programs in critical inquiry and research.