INTERAMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY

::November 2023::

It’s a non-profit civil association, whose origin dates back to 1943, as a result of a proposal made at the Argentine Congress of Radiology, and is currently made up of 25 countries from all over the American continent (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela), Spain and Portugal.

Web page

The CIR has a website that is constantly updated, where we can find the members of the Association, Statutes, Regulations, previous Presidents, awards, as well as the publications available, the CIR Courses and Congresses and where they have been carried out, activities and scholarships. It also lists the sponsors, companies and industry that contribute to the maintenance of the website. https://www.webcir.org/

CIR NEWS (NotiCIR)

Our monthly publication (NotiCIR) is sent to a database of 6,561 people. It informs about all the important events that took place during the month and announces the scheduled events, its own and those of all the member countries that request it; there is also a space for The History’s Corner. On the CIR billboard, scholarships are offered to CIR members who do not reside in the country where the event is taking place.

Webinars

As a result of the pandemic, monthly webinars began to be held as of June 2021. To date, they continue to be held on the third Wednesday of each month with a wide variety of topics offered by different radiologists from the member countries, and they are available for later viewing on the YouTube platform. On average, 1500 doctors from different countries connect every week to continue seeing the different topics offered.

Virtual Journal

With the aim of sharing knowledge among the radiologists of the College, facilitating access to scientific content generated and disseminated by the publications of our professional environment, 4 annual issues of a Virtual Journal are published with links to articles selected and given jointly by 12 official journals of the member societies of the Inter-American College of Radiology

CIR Congress

The CIR holds a biennial congress in a member country, which is nominated and designated by 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 do not live in Spain, and the next one will be in Costa Rica in 2024 (June 26-28).

Refresher Course

Starting in 2013, the Radiology Update Course began to be held every two years in the City of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. With an attendance of 126 virtual registrants in 2021, the 2023 course resumed its usual face-to-face format and took place from June 29 to July 1, 2023.

Latin American School of Radiology

Since 2012, the CIR has had a program called the Latin American School of Radiology (ELAR), whose mission is to improve the level of radiological practice in Latin America through the delivery of high-quality educational opportunities. Scholarships of 3 months are offered to carry out training stays in various subspecialties in academic centers of recognized prestige. The scholarship consists of US$3,000.00 (for travel and lodging expenses). Applicants must be radiologists who are members of the CIR dedicated and/or specially interested in the radiological area of the fellowship to which they are applying (it should be noted that fellowships are for trained young radiologists, not for radiology residents). This year's scholarships were sponsored by the RSNA, SERAM and the CIR, awarding 8 scholarships to doctors from countries of 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.

SIRCAI

The CIR created and approved the Integrated System of Radiology for Ibero-American Certification and Accreditation (SIRCAI) in October 2010, a historic event of great significance. 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 some requirements to be able to take the exam. The call is annual, and professionals who pass the exam are given a Diploma. In 2023, 34 radiologists have applied, 26 of whom have passed the exam; in 2022, 11 were submitted and 9 were approved; in 2021, 8 were submitted and 7 passed, and in 2020, 29 were submitted and 21 were approved.

Visiting Professor Program

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 Ibero-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 are eligible for the program. During 2023, this program had a presence in Cuba, Colombia.

CIR Visiting Program

The CIR, fulfilling its mission of uniting the National Radiology Groups and strengthening the education of the medical specialists who make them up, has developed the CIR Visiting Program. It is carried out in the context of the National Congress of the Society/Association of the applicant host country, and it consists of the development of a monothematic course of 6 to 8 hours taught by 2 or 3 CIR Professors. This year it was in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission

In November 2022, the CIR created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, with the Mission of promoting, adapting, defending, and advancing support for diversity, equity, and inclusion through the CIR. This includes, but is not limited to, policy development, research, and promotion of a culture of inclusion.

Artificial Intelligence Commission

In 2023, the CIR has created its AI Commission, with the aim, among others, of identifying areas of opportunity in the use of AI in radiology, fostering collaboration between professionals, establishing an ethical and legal framework, and promoting education and continuous learning in the field of AI.

Communication and Social Networks Commission

In 2023, the CIR has created the Communication and Social Networks Commission with the aim of improving communication between professionals in its area of influence, sharing information in a coordinated manner with the communication managers of the different radiological societies of the CIR member countries.