June 23, 2009 - On June 20, 2009, the American College of Radiology Education Center, “radiology’s classroom of the future,” reported that more than 800 physicians attended to experience hands-on training, with individual workstations, using the imaging software of their choice during the first 12 months.
This milestone marks the completion of the first year of operation, and news from the ACR that the course curriculum will significantly expand in the next 12 months.
“The ACR Education Center has been fantastically successful and represents a significant step forward for the education and training of imaging physicians worldwide,” said James H. Thrall, M.D., FACR, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors. “In my opinion, there is nothing else to compare to it. I can’t encourage physicians enough to take advantage of this cutting-edge radiology training facility.”
The ACR Education Center will offer three new courses this Fall including:
· Body MR — Sept. 25-27, 2009 (Friday – Sunday)
· Musculoskeletal MR — Nov. 13-15, 2009 (Friday – Sunday)
· ACR/SPR Pediatric Cardiovascular MR — Oct. 9-11, 2009 (Friday – Sunday)
Additional topics to be explored in 2010 include:
· Adult Cardiac MR
· Digital Mammography
· Neuroradiology
“The ACR Education Center is so popular because it gives physicians an opportunity to interpret real-world cases, using cutting-edge imaging techniques, in a classroom setting rather than on patients,” said ACR Chief Executive Officer Harvey L. Neiman, M.D., FACR. “The ACR Education Center is truly radiology’s classroom of the future. We are thrilled to be able to expand the valuable offerings at this one-of-a-kind venue.”
The core of the ACR Education Center is the ACR case engine which contains hundreds of challenging case scenarios that attendees interact with at their own workstation using the same system they use everyday. Attendees can interact one-on-one with world-class faculty and imaging equipment vendors in a facility which replicates their normal clinical environment. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees receive a certificate of proficiency from the ACR.
The ACR Education Center Offers Unparalleled Educational Opportunity:
· More than 98 percent of attendees say they will return for another course
· Over 15 percent of attendees have completed more than one course at the center
”For physicians to be able to come here and learn new techniques on the system they use at their home facility enables them to concentrate on learning the technique, not a new system. They can go home and put those lessons to work immediately. This is the vanguard of radiology education,” said Lawrence Davis, M.D., FACR, chair of the ACR Education Commission.
What attendees are saying about the ACR Education Center:
· “The first six hours here actually had more practical impact on my future practice than the previous 80 or 90 hours of study and preparation that I have done.” — Robert Yankes, M.D., Durham, N.C.
· “The private insurers are moving toward requiring that certificate of proficiency for payment purposes, so I think it’s a must!” — Sam Nakat, M.D., New Haven, Conn.
· “The technology that is here [at the ACR Education Center] is the same system that I have at home. That is just invaluable!” — Alan E. Hillard, M.D., Jefferson City, Mo.
· “I had a question and there were two faculty running to help!” — Radhika Gupta, Kansas City, Mo.
For information on the ACR Education Center: http://www.acr.org/EducationCenter/ACRFutureClassroom.aspx
March 13, 2026 
