Editorial Opportunities for Radiology Trainees: RSNA’s Radiology: In Training Program

Radiology, together with other imaging disciplines, plays a criti-cal role in driving innovations and expanding medical knowl-edge to enhance patient care. The future of academic radiologyrelies on the new generation of radiologists who will pursue thiscareer path and become future leaders in the field.An academic career in radiology is built on a foundation ofinnovative research, robust mentorship, and strong professionalnetworks. In this collaborative environment, each component,from high-quality research to mentoring, plays a vital role inshaping future leaders in the field (1,2). In addition to researchand mentorship, developing proficiency in peer review is cru-cial. Although peer reviewing can be a demanding task, it isessential for young researchers to learn the appropriate review-ing process and to provide accurate and respectful evaluationsof other authors’ work. Indeed, peer reviewing is a fundamentalpart of the academic world because it ensures that publishedarticles add novelty to the existing knowledge and meet spe-cific standards of methodology, accuracy, and ethics, building atrusted form of science dissemination. Peer reviewing also offersmany benefits to the reviewer because it is an opportunity tolearn the required standards for an impactful research article,improve scientific writing, expand clinical and academic knowl-edge, spark new ideas, remain up-to-date on emerging topics,and sharpen the critical skills to evaluate the scientific merit ofany published paper (3).Moreover, a major determinant of academic success is theproduction of high-quality, impactful research that advancesthe field. In this context, every element, from collaborative re-search and mentorship to the rigors of peer review, contributesto building a comprehensive academic profile. By integratingthese facets, trainees can effectively navigate the challenges ofan academic career and drive meaningful advancements in ra-diology. However, trainees may face difficulties in accessing allthese opportunities. Involvement in research projects duringtraining may be limited for many reasons, and availability foracademic activities may vary in different residency programs(1). Additional barriers may be the absence of mentors (who arenot always available and invested in research) or the lack of op-portunities to be involved in peer reviewing and editorial work.In this article, we describe the many opportunities thatRSNA offers to trainees interested in academic research withthe Radiology: In Training (RIT) program.