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E. Scott Pretorius, MD
Radiology oRganizations
1. What is the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)?
The mission of the RSNA, founded 1915, is “to promote and develop the highest standards of radiology and related
sciences through education and research.” The RSNA is the world’s largest organization of its kind. The RSNA publishes
the “gray journal,” Radiology. The annual meeting of the RSNA is in Chicago during the last week of November or first
week of December.
2. What is the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS)?
The ARRS was founded in 1900, shortly after Roentgen’s discovery of the x-ray, with the stated goal of “advancement of
medicine through the science of radiology and its allied sciences.” The ARRS publishes the “yellow journal,” the American
Journal of Roentgenology, which has officially shortened its name to AJR. The ARRS meets annually in April or May at
varying sites throughout the United States and Canada.
3. What is the Association of University Radiologists (AUR)?
The AUR is the organization of academic radiologists. Subgroups of the AUR include the Society of Chairmen of Academic
Radiology Departments, the Association of Program Directors in Radiology, and the American Association of Academic
Chief Residents in Radiology. The AUR and its constituent organizations meet annually at varying sites throughout the
United States and Canada. It publishes the journal Academic Radiology.
4. What is the American Board of Radiology?
The American Board of Radiology, based in Tucson, Arizona, is the organization that administers the written and oral
examinations in radiology. The diagnostic radiology written examination is given each September at sites throughout
the United States and Canada. The diagnostic radiology oral examination is given annually in early June in Louisville,
Kentucky.
5. What is the American College of Radiology (ACR)?
The ACR performs several important functions. It accredits sites that perform mammography, ultrasound (US), nuclear
medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to maintain appropriate quality standards. Through its American
College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), the ACR conducts multicenter studies in diagnostic radiology. Educational
CD-ROMs in all subspecialties of radiology are produced by the ACR. Finally, the ACR has an important role in advocacy
for the interests of radiologists, medical physicists, and their patients through work with Congress, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and state and local governments.
6. What is the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)?
The ACGME is the body that accredits American residency training programs in radiology and all other fields of graduate
medical education. The ACGME develops requirements and guidelines for residency training programs in all fields. Among
its most noted recent actions are the limiting of the resident work week to 80 hours and the requirement that diagnostic
radiology residencies include 3 months of training in breast imaging.
7. What are the major subspecialty societies in radiology?
There are many subspecialty societies, and most of them have discounted memberships available for medical students or
).
8. What are the leading academic journals within diagnostic radiology?
Radiology, the journal of the RSNA, and the American Journal of Roentgenology, the journal of the American Roentgen
Ray Society, are the two leading general-purpose radiology journals. There are numerous important subspecialty journals,
including the Journal of Interventional Radiology, American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR), Pediatric Radiology,
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Abdominal Imaging, and Journal of Nuclear
Medicine (see
