In March 2023, in conjunction with the SIR 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting (March 4–7, Phoenix; sirmeeting.org), the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) will launch a new yearlong fellowship specifically designed for residents. Designed and spearheaded by JVIR Senior Deputy Editor Ron C. Gaba, MD, MS, FSIR, the program provides a unique opportunity for trainees. IRQ recently spoke with Dr. Gaba about his vision for this exciting program.
Why has the journal prioritized meeting the needs of trainees as one of its top goals?
Ron C. Gaba, MD, MS, FSIR: Resident trainees within IR/DR constitute the future generation of IR clinicians, researchers, educators and leaders. Developing a mechanism by which we can support their academic engagement and growth early in their career—particularly in ways not accomplished within typical residency curricula—was incredibly important to us.
What inspired the idea of a yearlong program for residents? Had you seen this kind of offering elsewhere or participated in a similar fellowship that has informed your career?
RG: If you look through the landscape of academic and scientific journals, you’ll find a variety of short- and long-term opportunities for trainees to get involved. For the most part, those opportunities are set up to give a general sense of the world of scholarly publishing.
We wanted to offer more. By establishing a yearlong program, we wanted to provide a longitudinal, immersive experience that builds and grows over time—both within the fellowship year and from one year to the next. And now that IR is its own residency, trainees specialize in IR earlier and there is the opportunity to serve and to groom residents over a longer period of time with more focus.
Would you say this program has value for residents who aren’t anticipating a research-oriented career?
RG: Absolutely. I think it’s incredibly practical for any resident. Anyone with interest in IR, regardless of level of engagement in research or publishing, would certainly benefit from the development of critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills, which are paramount elements of interventional radiology practice. Additional competencies that the program will foster—such as the ability to appraise the published literature—would be assets throughout a resident’s IR career as well and could help them advance their clinical practice.
The program includes so many opportunities—exposure to scholarly decision-making, participation in projects directly related to JVIR, direct mentorship from JVIR leadership. What element of this fellowship would you say is most valuable?
RG: It’s hard to say, but perhaps the opportunity to receive one-on-one mentorship from JVIR Editorial Board members on high-level decision-making. These are all well-established IR professionals whose insights into the broader context of scientific publication will undoubtedly be incredibly impactful in and of themselves. Having good mentors is such an important part of someone’s development as a clinician.
How would you say the program benefits the journal? The broader IR community?
RG: A key downstream objective is to develop future leaders for the journal, but we also look forward to the new ideas that the trainees will bring to the journal right now. JVIR has never been about staying in the status quo. Continued evolution propels the journal forward.
What would you say to those who are not sure the program is for them?
RG: I would say they should ask themselves what they’d want out of an editorial training experience. Direct interaction with experts in the field? The chance to build and hone skills sets that aren’t common in residencies but directly applicable to their professional goals? Insights that residents not involved in the program will likely be unable to gain? Those are all core elements of this program.
If they’re still unsure, I’d encourage them to talk to colleagues and mentors who have participated in similar programs to see how the value of this opportunity matches up with their unique career goals, objectives, and circumstances.
What would you say to program directors who aren't sure whether to allow their resident to participate?
RG: I would assure them that we’ve worked with a number of thought-leaders to create an immersive, enriching experience in which their residents will grow in unique ways, with learnings that they’ll carry back into their residency program. In short, they’ll be in good hands!
