Contact
Barranca del Muerto 520, Los Alpes, Álvaro Obregón, C.P.01010, Ciudad de México, MéxicoPhone
(+52) 55 9171 9570
::November 2023::
Web page
The CIR has a website that is constantly updated, where the members of the College, Statutes, Regulations, previous Presidents, awards, as well as the available publications, the Courses and Congresses of the CIR, including their locations, activities, and scholarships can be found. Likewise, there is a record of the sponsors, societies, and industries that contribute to the maintenance of the website. https://www.webcir.org/
Our monthly publication (NotiCIR) is distributed to a database of 6,561 recipients. It provides information about all the important events that took place during the month and announces the scheduled events, including our own and those from all member countries that request it; there is also a section for El Rincón de la Historia (The History Corner). The CIR bulletin offers scholarships to CIR members who do not reside in the country where the event is held.
As a result of the pandemic, monthly webinars began to be held starting in June 2021. As of now, they are still held on the third Wednesday of each month, featuring a wide variety of topics presented by different radiologists from member countries, which are available for later viewing on YouTube. On average, 1,500 doctors from various countries connect each week to continue watching the various topics presented.
With the aim of sharing knowledge among the College's radiologists, facilitating access to scientific content generated and disseminated by the publications of our professional environment, 4 issues are published annually with links to selected articles generously provided by 12 official journals of the member societies of the Interamerican College of Radiology.
The CIR holds a biennial congress in a member country, a venue that is proposed and designated during the Assembly, and the event is held jointly between the CIR and the host country. The last one was held in Malaga, Spain, in May 2022 with an attendance of 58 doctors who are not based in Spain, and the next one will be in Costa Rica in 2024 (June 26-28).
Since 2013, the Current Affairs Course in Radiology has been held every two years in the City of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. With an attendance of 126 registered participants attending virtually in 2021, the 2023 Course resumed its usual in-person format and was held from June 29 to July 1, 2023.
Since 2012, the CIR has been running a program called Latin American School of Radiology (ELAR Scholarships), whose mission is to improve the level of radiological practice in Latin America through the delivery of high-quality educational opportunities. Scholarships of 3-month duration are offered to undertake training placements in various subspecialties in academic centers of recognized prestige. The scholarship consists of US$3,000.00 (for travel and accommodation expenses). The applicants must be radiologists who are members of the CIR with clinical commitment and/or special interest in the area of radiology of the scholarship to which they are applying (note that the scholarships are for young trained radiologists, not for radiology residents). This year's scholarships were sponsored by the RSNA, SERAM, and the CIR, granting 8 scholarships to doctors from Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Uruguay, who went to centers of excellence located in: Argentina (2), Chile (2), Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal.
The CIR created and approved the Integrated Ibero-American Radiology Certification and Accreditation System (SIRCAI) in October 2010, a significant historical milestone. SIRCAI assumes the role of evaluating and certifying the professional training of Ibero-American radiologists, with the conviction that quality in diagnostic imaging is only possible when medical acts are performed exclusively by qualified medical professionals who are specifically dedicated to the specialty. There are several requirements to sit for the exam. The call for applications is annual, and the professionals who pass the exam are awarded a certificate of accreditation. In 2023, 34 radiologists applied, 26 of whom passed the examination; in 2022, 11 applied and 9 passed; in 2021, 8 applied and 7 passed; and in 2020, 29 applied and 21 passed.
The CIR has a database of Professors, who are invited to participate in the Visiting Professor Program, depending on the specialty that the member country requires following the application protocol in the different annual calls. The objective of this program is to strengthen the education of Latin American Radiologists as a fundamental and essential tool for the constant improvement of radiological practice in our environment. This program consists of the participation of one or two CIR Professors in National and Regional Courses/Congresses of the Member Associations. All countries have the right to receive the program. During 2023, this program had a presence in Cuba, Colombia.
The CIR, fulfilling its mission to unite the National Radiology Associations and strengthen the education of the medical specialists that comprise them, has developed the CIR Visita Program. It is carried out in the context of the National Congress of the Society/Association of the applicant host country and consists of the development of a thematic course lasting 6 to 8 hours taught by 2 or 3 CIR faculty members. This year, it took place in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
In November 2022, the CIR created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, with the mission of promoting, adapting, defending, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through the CIR. This includes, but is not limited to, the development of policies, research, and the promotion of a culture of inclusion.
In 2023, the CIR has created its AI Commission, with the aim, among other things, of identifying areas of opportunity in utilizing AI in radiology, fostering collaboration between professionals, establishing an ethical and legal framework, and promoting education and continuous learning in the realm of AI.
In 2023, the CIR created the Communication and Social Networks Commission with the goal of enhancing communication between professionals within its area of influence, sharing information in a coordinated manner with the communication officers of the various radiological societies in the CIR member countries.