Several faculty from the Department of Radiology reached out to Vanderbilt medical students in an effort to create interest in interventional radiology and interventional oncology. As a result, Mary Ellen Koran, PhD, in the Medical Scientist Training Program rounded a group of medical students and formed the Interventional Radiology Interest Group (IRIG).
Over 30 medical students from Vanderbilt and Meharry organized a "hands-on" session led by Dr. Dan Brown, chief of Interventional Oncology, to discover treatment options in interventional radiology for solid tumors by focusing on ablation techniques. Three companies supplied their ablation technologies (radio frequency, microwave, and cryoablation) for the students to test their skills on fresh cow livers.
Participating faculty included Drs. Dan Brown, Geoff Wile, Asma Ahmad, Andrew Lipnik, Reed Omary (chair of Radiology) and residents, David Johnson and Chris Beck. They were able to assist in guiding the students and answer any questions, including what it's like to be a radiology resident.
