::November 2023::
Web page
The CIR has a web page that is constantly updated, where we find the members of the College, Statutes, Regulations, previous Presidents, awards, as well as the available publications, the Courses and Congresses of the CIR and where they have been held, activities and scholarships. Likewise, there is a record of the sponsors, societies and industry that contribute to the maintenance of the web site. https://www.webcir.org/
Our monthly publication (NotiCIR) is sent to a database of 6,561 people. It informs about all the important events carried out during the month and announces the programmed events, both our own and those of all the member countries that request it; there is also a space for El Rincón de la Historia (The History Corner). The CIR bulletin board offers scholarships to CIR members who do not live in the country where the event is taking place.
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, which are available for later viewing on the YouTube platform. On average 1500 doctors from different countries connect each week to continue watching the different topics offered.
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 issues are published annually with links to selected articles provided jointly by 12 official journals of the member societies of the Interamerican College of Radiology.
The CIR holds a biennial congress in a member country, a venue that is nominated and designated within the Assembly, the event being held jointly between the CIR and the host country. The last one was carried out in Malaga, Spain, in May 2022 with an attendance of 58 doctors who are not based in Spain, and the next one will be in Costa Rica in 2024 (June 26-28).
Since 2013, the Course of Current Affairs in Radiology has been held every two years in the City of Cancun, Quintana Roo-Mexico. With an attendance of 126 registered virtually in 2021, the 2023 Course resumed its usual face-to-face format and was held from June 29 to July 1, 2023.
Since 2012 the CIR has had a program called Latin American School of Radiology (ELAR Scholarships), 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 duration 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 transfer and stay expenses). The applicants must be radiologists members of the CIR with healthcare dedication and/or special interest in the area of radiology of the scholarship to which they are applying (it is noted that the scholarships are for young trained radiologists, not for radiology residents). This year's scholarships were sponsored by the RSNA, SERAM and the CIR, granting 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.
The CIR created and approved the Integrated Radiology System for Ibero-American Certification and Accreditation (SIRCAI) in October 2010, a historic event of great importance. The 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 a number of requirements to be able to take the exam. The call is held annually, and the professionals who pass the exam are awarded an accrediting Diploma. In 2023, 34 radiologists have appeared, 26 of whom have passed the examination; in 2022, 11 appeared and passed 9; in 2021, 8 appeared and passed 7, and in 2020, 29 appeared and passed 21.
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 Latin 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 have the right to receive the program. During 2023, this program had a presence in Cuba, Colombia.
The CIR, fulfilling its Mission of uniting the National Radiology Groups and strengthening the education of the medical specialists that make them up, has developed the CIR Visita Program. It is carried out in the context of the National Congress of the Society/Association of the applicant host country, and consists of the development of a monothematic Course of 6 to 8 hours of duration dictated by 2 or 3 Professors of the CIR. This year it was in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
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.
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.
In 2023 the CIR 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 way with the communication managers of the different radiological societies of the CIR member countries.