Alpert Medical School's diagnostic imaging-residency program at Rhode Island Hospital has recently been ranked first in the country by the American Board of Radiology.
The board sets standards for and evaluates the performance of radiologists nationwide, according to its Web site. Residents' scores on oral and written board examinations determine the ranking.
In the past five years, all residents in the program passed the board examination on their first tries, said Martha Mainiero, director of the diagnostic radiology-residency program and associate professor of diagnostic imaging. Mainiero is also the director of the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging at Rhode Island Hospital. The program beat 185 similar training programs for the No. 1 spot in the annual ranking.
"We've always known our residents were the best, but it was nice to have it validated by an objective measure," she said.
Eli Adashi, the outgoing dean of medicine and biological sciences, said he was not surprised by the top spot.
"I was well aware of the quality of the training of the residents in that department," he said.
Adashi credited Mainiero, the chair of the radiology department and the department's faculty for the ranking.
The highly selective program only accepts strong residents, "and that helps, but that's not enough," Adashi said. "You need really the optimal interplay between faculty and residents."
Mainiero attributed the residents' success to the program's hands-on approach to learning.
"They're not observers. They're active participants all through their residencies," Mainiero said.
Both Mainiero and Adashi said they hoped the ranking would influence the decisions of applicants to the program. Mainiero said she told applicants about the ranking.
"Hopefully, it will make a difference to them, so they won't have to take our word for how great the program is," she said.
Adashi said he was confident that the ranking would positively affect the applicant pool.
"This is bound to bring excellent applicants to the program," he said.
