In this episode, Dr. Michael Baraza interviews Dr. Justin Guan, an interventional radiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, about the SIR Global IR training network.

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SHOW NOTES

Dr. Guan first discusses the IR program at the Cleveland Clinic and how they have a large case volume, which enables their trainees to get their pick about what types of cases they want to do.

Guan then mentions his recent trip to Seol, Korea for the Asia Pacific IR conference and discusses how Korea is doing some new IR techniques that haven't made their way to the mainstream yet. Guan also discusses the SIR Global training network, and how it was created due to a need for an entity that can spread IR education globally. Guan talks about how there are overall insufficient training opportunities worldwide, and in the countries that do have these opportunities, there is a huge variation in IR training. Thus, Guan discusses how the SIR’s Global training network’s objective is to expand IR’s footprint globally.

Guan then moves on to talk about initiatives that the SIR Global training network is trying to implement. First, Guan talks about the current challenges that these initiatives are trying to address. These challenges include : 1. Insufficient IR services worldwide, 2. A lack of public awareness about IR and its procedures, and 3. A lack of data about what countries have IR training and what countries don't. The initiatives aimed to address these challenges include the Global IR juniors summits, which recently got approval to be held at the SIR conference. Guan talks about how at this summit, IRs from around the world discuss what their IR society is doing and the new progress they have made. Guan also discusses how they are working on the Global Training Network currently, a database of different IR physicians to provide opportunities for observership, mentorship and serve as a hub for a clinical exchange of IR knowledge worldwide.

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RESOURCES

Public Awareness of Interventional Radiology: Population-Based Analysis of the Current State of and Pathways for Improvement:
https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(23)00122-7/fulltext

Global Assessment of the Status of Interventional Radiology:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZBVFXQ8