The Pre-Radiology Internship: Room for Improvement?

A clinical internship is currently required by the American Board of Radiology prior to Radiology residency. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate practicing radiologists' perspectives on the value of the internship and their recommendations for optimization. A five-minute online survey was distributed via email to practicing radiologist members of the American College of Radiology. A total of 566 completed responses (11.3% response rate) were received. Most respondents agreed that their internship was essential for improving non-radiology clinical knowledge (84%) and affirming their decision to become a radiologist (74%). Most respondents (59%) disagree that the one-year internship before residency should be eliminated. Most (53%) of the radiologists in an academic practice agreed that internship should be integrated into Radiology residency. If radiologists were to redesign the internship (“PreRad Internship”), a majority of the respondents would include training in other medical specialties (71%), working along technologists (55%) and informatics/AI/computer science (54%). While the greatest proportion (50%) of interventional radiologists reported a Surgery internship would be the most beneficial for their primary subspecialty (50%), diagnostic radiologists most commonly (27%) reported the PreRad Internship would be the most beneficial. The greatest proportions of Abdominal-, Breast-, and Neuroradiology-trained respondents reported a PreRad Internship would be the most beneficial internship for their primary field of subspecialty Radiology practice (32%, 36%, and 33%, respectively). The internship before Radiology residency offers some benefits but could be further optimized. There is support from practicing radiologists for a redesigned, more Radiology-specific PreRad Internship. •If radiologists were to redesign the internship (“PreRad Internship”), most would include training in other specialties and working with technologists.•Diagnostic radiologists most commonly reported a PreRad internship would be the most beneficial for their primary subspecialty.