The SIR International Scholarship Program

The SIR International Scholarship Program enables physicians within 10 years of completion of training and practicing outside North America an opportunity to attend the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting.

The program fosters professional networking through meeting participation, focused programming and optional observerships before or after the annual meeting.

As it enters its ninth year, the SIR International Scholarship has been awarded to 121 scholars representing 35 countries. Newly represented countries in 2019 were: Lithuania, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Syria and Tanzania.

As part of the scholarship, participants are required to write essays describing their experience at the annual meeting. IRQ is pleased to include below the 2019 scholars’ essays, which were edited for style. 

Ahmed Elsakka, Egypt

I felt like I was at home at this SIR meeting, and I was really surprised by how supportive the committee and faculty were to me as international scholar. I met IR physicians from all over the world, and we exchanged ideas about the main problems of IR practice in their countries, how to solve them and how to think out of the box for many complicated problems. I shared the main problems of IR practice in Egypt with many experts in SIR. For example, we have a big problem with drug resistance against locoregional therapy and genetic mutations for treatment of different types of cancer, especially HCC.

I discussed these points with SIR faculty from different U.S. institutions, who were very supportive of me. They agreed to collaborate with my home institution on several research projects to incorporate different people with different genes and different traditions, to see if the mutations and drug resistance could be different so we can develop targeted therapy for every mutation. The cancer is a multifactorial disease, so different populations from different countries may not respond to the same treatment. They invited me to pursue this projects with them at their U.S. institutions, integrating our patients' data to see different genetic mutations and develop new lines of treatment. I hope we can develop new effective lines of treatments for our HCC patients in Egypt who have very aggressive diseases that have not responded to current lines of treatment.

I thank SIR and international scholar program committee for their support and the opportunity to help accomplish my IR goals.

Ali Hasan Albumohammed, Iraq

I completed my fellowship in diagnostic radiology from the Iraqi Board for Medical Specializations in 2018 and since then I have been interested in IR. 

I was so pleased to be involved in the international scholarship program at SIR 2019 in Austin to represent my country, among the other international scholars who were all welcomed in every occasion at this great meeting.

I joined the midday lunch everyday throughout the meeting and enjoyed the social networking with other colleagues. I attended all days of the SIR meeting and joined workshops for vascular and musculoskeletal IR procedures. I also attended Extreme IR, which was very interesting and highly useful to get knowledge about different IR techniques and procedures done by many specialists. The 2019 Gold Medals Presentation & Dotter Lecture was a very motivating session.

It was a very enjoyable week with all the activities and social networking with people from all over the world. The most important point in this scholarship was sharing thoughts, experiences and knowledge with different IRs from each continent. It will be important to keep contact with them for the interchange of clinical experience and practice.

Interventional radiology is growing in my country. This year, three subspecialties are to be introduced in the Arab Board of Health Specializations in Diagnostic Radiology in Iraq: interventional radiology, musculoskeletal radiology and neuroradiology. I hope that the coming years will be years of interventional radiology in my country.

I'm looking forward to attending future SIR meetings and eager to get more knowledge and experience in IR that I can offer to patients and share with my colleagues.

Andrei Afanasjev, Lithuania

20 years ago, as a young schoolboy who liked challenges, competitions, sport and studying and hated inactivity, I took part in many out-of-school activities: festivals organization, taking part in drama and literature coteries, public speaking competitions, debates in all levels, volunteer work in social projects, etc. As a result, I was one of 10 representatives of Lithuania at “The Millennium Young People’s Congress”, held in Hawaii. For a youngster from a former USSR country, meeting hundreds of interesting people, the experience opened my eyes, heart and mind to get everything from that experience. It led to me choosing to become a doctor, and IR taking a big part in my life.

I experienced something similar 20 years later as an SIR international scholar at SIR 2019. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet such brave people from Tanzania, Iraq, Syria, Ghana, Pakistan and other places, who did hundreds of times more than most attendees to be able to attend this wonderful event in Austin. 

The energy is enormous, as I clearly understand the cost to initiating the movement and process of the birth of IR in their countries. How difficult it is to bring new procedures to be performed on an ordinary basis in their countries, which are facing lack of financing of their medical system, or where war is still active, or where hunger is a big issue in their populations. I have gooseflesh thinking and writing about this right now.

Of course, the most important part of the experience was the scientific program and the great stars in IR who were sharing their knowledge. Bringing all that back home, together with the access to the digital video library from the whole meeting, was more than I would have expected. I thank all those who gave us so much attention, information and advice!

Azza Naif, Tanzania

This year I have had the amazing opportunity of attending the meeting through the International Scholarship Program. I extend my sincere gratitude to the international scholars’ committee for all they have done in making this trip possible. This chance really opened my eyes as to the incredible things IR can do for our society.

Tanzania is one of the developing countries still lagging behind in health care services. We do not have adequate personnel or equipment to meet people’s needs. Up until last year, we had about 60 radiologists in the whole country. IR is a new concept in our country, with no trained interventional radiologists—nor is there an institution that offers such a program.

During the meeting, I got to meet up with other international scholarship awardees. It was a great experience to hear about their stories and to discover that we share common problems and goals—such as the need for an IR training program. It was also fascinating to meet and hear some of the most influential people in the field talk about their research. I was wowed by what I saw at the Expo booths. I had the chance to try out AR glasses and see first-hand how it can be used during procedures. 

It is my hope that this experience is just the beginning of my exciting journey towards this field.

Byrite Asamoah, Ghana

The SIR 2019 annual meeting was everything I expected and so much more. I have never been to a conference with such high-level organization and great depth of education. The passion and dedication of the members, and the deserved pride and honor exuded by the all the leaders, was virtually palpable. I am exceptionally proud to be a member of SIR!

Coming to the conference, I honestly felt somewhat intimidated as I knew virtually nothing about the intricacies of IR. When I went to the exhibition hall where the hands-on sessions were taking place, I was called on a few times but would turn down the opportunity with a big smile and then quickly vanish.

I eventually tried my hand, including cementoplasty of the sacral bone via a long axis access route, accessing the celiac axis and embolizing the arterial branch supplying a hepatic tumor using the MENTICE endovascular simulator, performed a TIPS using a model. The experience was indeed wonderful and, I must say, I seemed to have a knack for it!

In the midst of all the academics, I met so many fantastic people; some whom approached and engaged me when I sat alone just observing and taking in the wonderful scenes and moments. Indeed, I made lots of friends from all over the world and all over the United States. It was such a great feeling to meet people and be bound by that something in common which breaks all barriers and protocol…IR.

Spending time with the SIR International Scholars and sharing experiences about challenges, passions and initiatives undertaken were really special times. This offered moments of deep reflection and introspection as to what I could do to advance IR in my country. The talks delivered by different people who came to meet us during a lunch breaks were indeed encouraging and above all inspiring.

Ioná Szhafir, MD, Argentina

The SIR annual meeting was a unique experience. If I could only use one word to describe my feelings, it would be extraordinary. It was a perfect combination of spirit, knowledge and professionalism.

Since my first contact with SIR, I felt supported and encouraged to be part of this big family. It’s really important for young people like us to be included, to feel the impulse to open our minds, to get involved in new learning, to have contact with cutting-edge technologies and to establish connections with colleagues from all over the world.

The opportunity this program has given me to have contact with various cultures, backgrounds and country situations has been the most mind-opening experience I’ve had in my professional life. To be able to meet other IRs from all over the world and learn about their practice allowed me to think and reflect about my own practice in Argentina. In addition, this prompted me to start putting together different projects so that my colleagues and I can make more efficient use of the resources we have.

One of the most enriching moments of the meeting were the lunches, where we had the chance to get in touch with the "big leagues"—i.e., top professionals in the area showing interest in our practice and in our countries’ situations, and also sharing with us their experience. Having the opportunity to hear about the story of people we admire shows us that, with effort and enthusiasm, dreams can become achievements.

This experience is one new spark to keep my fire going. Now I face my practice with renewed eyes and spirit and enjoy being part of this big family all over the world.

Ivan Rukundo, MD, Rwanda

I come from Rwanda, where there is an immense need of medical specialty services and training. For a long time, I have dreamed of pursuing a career in IR; I have almost always shared this formidable dream with family, friends, peers and leaders.

During my diagnostic radiology residency, the Tanzania Interventional Radiology Initiative was my first opportunity to be associated with IR and I was willing to give it my all. Together with 2 colleagues, we were privileged to be the pioneer trainees in the program. It is with this program that I learnt about SIR and applied for the International Scholarship to attend SIR 2019.

At SIR 2019, I spent all my lunch breaks with fellow international scholars. It was an invaluable opportunity to interact, share experiences and challenges and to build future professional relationships. We had inspirational talks from leaders of the SIR international program and other faculty and my greatest take-home message was from Dr. Janice Newsome: "Nothing is insurmountable." 

It was also a great occasion to attend different scientific presentations on research work done by different professionals from different parts of the world and I had an opportunity to attend a Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) session on how to write and review scientific papers. I attended an insightful session on the status of IR in Africa and learned more about the Society of African Interventional Radiology and Endovascular Therapy (SAFIRE), which is an important platform to develop and spread IR in Africa, where I come from.

With SIR 2019, I have gained an esteemed family of IR enthusiasts, mentors, big dreamers and leaders that I will always count on to help propel my dream even higher.

Muhammad Danish Barakzai, MBBS, FCPS, FVIR, Pakistan

The journey to the SIR annual meeting, to me, is like a dream come true, as it was on my wish list for several years. While completing my fellowship in IR, I applied for the scholarship to attend the conference. With the recommendation and encouragement from the president of Interventional Radiological Society of Pakistan (IRSP) and my program director, my enticement to attend the SIR annual meeting reached sky high.

There were a few travel challenges to my journey to SIR, but the society's team continued helping make it possible. Eventually, I was in a monumental place with large screens witnessing "Extreme IR." The segment was magnificent, with peers discussing the diversity in IR.

The next day started with the Career Symposium, which for me was important to understand both upcoming challenges faced by IRs and the transition from fellow to attending. I also enjoyed the Gold medal awards with the great contributions of Dr. Matsumoto, Dr. Picus and Dr. Spies in the field of IR, and the Dotter lecture of Dr. Matsumoto about patience and patient care in the upcoming health care framework.   

During the Expo Break I encountered a huge IR market and companies making extremely useful and innovative devices. Many of these devices were not available in my country. Companies shared their view and details, so that these instruments can be readily available in the country. The “enteral and urological intervention and global approach to patients with pain” session was of interest to me during the rest of the day.

The International Scholar Special Program felt like a graduation ceremony—everyone was invited on stage, certificates were distributed and a short speech was delivered by every candidate regarding how IR is being practiced in their countries. Now, I can truly say “IAMIR!”

Pieter H. Henning, South Africa

There are not many feelings in a lifetime that can compare with the feeling of belonging to a collective group of peers. People who share your passion and vision, both professionally and ethically. Once you have discovered the group of individuals that you can relate to, I believe it will be a turning point in your life and career.

I live in a country that has not yet embraced IR as an independent specialty separate from DR. The concept remains foreign to most radiologists and medical funders. The ideal of merging technological diagnosis with advanced treatment may seem “weird” to a profession that remains slow on change and isolated in thinking. Hence it was fortuitous for me to attend my first SIR conference in “weird” Austin—where I would discover a Society of Disruptive Thinkers, pioneering the future of medicine.

There was an energy projected by every person walking into the facility, most appropriately expressed by a striking smile, from the first IR I met at the conference, a previous resident of South Africa, recognizing my accent. It was at that moment that I that knew that I have found my Tribe, the people I belong with.

In South African culture, tribalism remains a strong driving force of national identity, even transcending racial lines and stronger than national patriotism. The tribal identity of an individual remains a powerful influence in the approach which South Africans take towards each other. At SIR 2019, I found my Tribe, the people I want to associate with and the mentors that I can look up to.

SIR 2019 was an unexpected discovery of great intellectuals sharing collective ideals, driving the youngest of specialist medical fields to the forefront of the disruptive change that the health care industry so desperately needs. I want to express my deepest gratitude, my sincerest appreciation and my unwavering loyalty towards our goals and beliefs. You are the people I aspire to.

Srikar Inuganti, India

The meeting at the Austin Convention Center was filled with symposia, plenary sessions in the auditorium and the interactive sessions in various topics was the best and I remember that we all were so eager for knowledge that we all wanted to attend all the sessions. We attended as many sessions relevant to our practice as possible to make the most of it. It was formal, yet allowed the audience to ask questions without any inhibitions.

The Expo displaying the products and devices from various companies was mind blowing and I made sure that I visited all the booths by splitting visits throughout the entire meeting. Some of the booths demonstrated the devices on simulators, which gave us a good understanding of the way the devices work. Certainly it was a great opportunity to have a glimpse of the entire gamut of interventional products all at one place.

Although I was eager to read each and every poster displayed there, I didn't have the chance until the last day. I managed to look at at least 80% of the posters displayed and the information and content displayed on the posters was mind blowing. Hats off to all the people who made sincere efforts to get their posters displayed to share their practice and knowledge.

Overall, the SIR annual meeting has been the best platform for the exchange of knowledge and skills. The best thing as international scholar was that it gave me the opportunity to interact with scholars from other countries and gave me insight into my own practice and certain lessons that I could take from others' practice of IR to improve and progress in this fascinating field. 

Interventional radiology must survive and thrive, and as long as societies like SIR are around, it undoubtedly will!

Basem Jaber, Syria

The SIR international scholarship is a great opportunity for aspiring IRs from developing countries. The amazing Tanzanian stories will always be an inspiration for me. Furthermore, I am deeply amazed by the South African IR experience and how they developed a successful solo IR practice which patients travel to from all over the country.

I will be forever thankful to SIR for giving me the chance to be among these beautiful minds. This amazing experience made me more determined to keep moving forward with passion, enthusiasm and patience towards IR training and to go back to my country to help Syrian people.

Uma Pankar, India

From things to know for starting out with a new procedure to learning the finer details of the procedures which I do often, all was covered in sessions like “Office-based procedures: what to try, what to avoid,” “Prostate artery embolization case show,” “Superficial venous ablations,” “Wound care principles and management,” “BTK bootcamp,” and more.

For someone at the beginning phase of their IR career, I learned a valuable piece of advice from Dr. Alan Matsumoto during the Charles T Dotter Lecture: “There is a need for IR to have both patience and patients, to be patients’ doctors and do what is best for our patients needs to be our true north.”

Zhi Huang, MD, China

I appreciated SIR giving me this opportunity to attend the conference. Through communicating with other SIR international scholars, I learned things I didn't know before and broadened my horizon. We became good friends and I was touched by their help and encouragement. I got information about new technology and new concepts about IR, such as the potential impact of high-tech image-guided intervention on global health.

I met many outstanding scholars and participated in excellent lectures. I also improved my spoken English and learned much about the direction of research around the world.