Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The ballots have been counted and the results are in for the U.S. 2012 elections (unless you live in Florida, of course). And as the political pundits dissect the greater meaning of President Barack Obama's victory over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, so too are radiology proponents analyzing what the results mean for our specialty.
One thing is obvious: Radiology will have to learn to live with the president's healthcare reform plan. However unpopular in some quarters, Obamacare withstood both a legal challenge in the Supreme Court and a national election in which it was a central issue. So start brushing up on the rules for accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Other ramifications of the election are more subtle. The fact that Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives means that organized radiology will still have a sympathetic ear for some of its more pressing priorities, such as fighting proposed reimbursement cuts via legislation (click here for the latest news on that front). But with Democrats holding the Senate and the executive branch, the question is what good this will do.
Radiology will most likely redouble its efforts to work directly with federal agencies on key issues such as reimbursement, and there are signs that this approach can work. For example, the radiation oncology community was able to mitigate what would have been disastrous cuts in Medicare payments for radiation therapy in 2013.
If there's a silver lining to the election for Obama's detractors, it's the fact that the devil you know is sometimes better than the one you don't. Visit our Imaging Leaders Digital Community for more coverage of the election's ramifications in days to come.
Facebook faux pas
Sure, social media can be a lot of fun. But would you want a prospective employer to see what you post on Facebook or Twitter?
That's the topic of a new article in our Residents Digital Community that describes the trend of employers and program directors performing background research on job candidates -- by reviewing their social media postings.
U.S. researchers conducted a survey of medical admissions officers and program directors and found that more than half didn't have a problem with digging up information on a candidate from social networking sites. Meanwhile, a similar number agreed that unprofessional posts could compromise an applicant's acceptance into a program. And the sentiment may well have intensified since the survey was sent out in 2009 to several thousand admissions personnel.
Learn more about the study by clicking here, or visit our Residents Digital Community at residents.auntminnie.com.
International Day of Radiology
Finally, today is the International Day of Radiology, the first in what's hoped to become an annual observance of everyone's favorite healthcare discipline (well, it's our favorite, at least).
Set on the anniversary of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen's discovery of the x-ray in 1895, the day is designed to raise awareness of radiology to a public that sometimes seems mystified as to what radiologists, radiologic technologists, and other imaging professionals actually do.
Learn more about the International Day of Radiology in an article on our AuntMinnieEurope.com sister site by clicking here. And visit the day's Facebook page for some intriguing photos from around the world, contributed by individuals who want to share what radiology means to them.
