SIR 2021 “Women in IR”

Congratulations to Dr. Novelli for putting together an excellent educational symposium and one of the highlight events of this year’s SIR meeting!

At last month’s national meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology, Dr. Paula Novelli coordinated and directed a full day symposium on Women in IR. The symposium including an international cohort of renowned speakers including Daniel Brown, MD, FSIR (Vanderbilt), M. Victoria Marx, MD, FSIR (USC and former president of SIR), Ros Ahmad (Head of Service Imaging, University Hospitals of Leicester, UK), and Ondina Bernstein, BMBS, BMedSci, FTCR, EBIR Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK) among many others. A wide range of topics was discussed including, but not limited to, presentations such as:
    • The IR Gender Gap
    • Navigating Your Career
    • Facts and Figures Male : Female and diversity in IR
    • Barriers to Women in IR
    • The Glass Ceiling
    • Women in Leadership - Career Development Strategies
    • Why you should be/have a mentor - The importance of a role model in IR for women
    • Overcoming generational differences in the clinical setting
    • Communication and negotiation skills for women
    • Standing with our female colleagues in other specialties

Madeleine Leo, one of our residents, also participated as a speaker in the symposium. She discussed impact of simulation on resident training.

The session concluded with keynote speaker Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR – Current President of the ACR and former Chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors and a Pitt Diagnostic Radiology Residency alumnus. Dr. McGinty presented the Women in IR: Champion Award & InspIRed Lecture: Reflections on Being a First.

The Women in IR program was very well received and attended and finished with a virtual networking event attended by more than 100 SIR registrants. Congratulations to Dr. Novelli for putting together an excellent educational symposium and one of the highlight events of this year’s SIR meeting!