Welcome to the 2nd #RADxx tweet chat recap! We thought it was impossible to keep up with the last tweet chat but this one saw even more momentum with new voices joining in to discuss mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for women in informatics. As seen in the storify recap, there were over 2.5 million impressions and over 600 tweets!
The tweet chat was hosted on May 11th by Dr. Geraldine McGinty, a radiologist and influencer in the space, and Mini Peiris, CMO of Ambra Health. Mini and Dr. McGinty officially launched RADxx at RSNA 2016 with the goal of producing a mentoring and networking opportunity for women in radiology and informatics.
Dr. McGinty launched the discussion with question number 1.
Q1: If you are a #RADxx #womanininformatics have you ever had a mentor or sponsor fast-track your career? Tell us who and how!
Many shared those that had influenced their careers, and highlighted not only how xxs had been great mentors but also many xys.
Others highlighted the need to encourage more medical students to join the #RADxx community. This was a topic we had also seen debated at our recent #thinkRADical event in Boston.
Question #2 narrowed in more on this topic by suggesting tips for successful sponsor and mentor relationships.
Q2: What’s your top tip for successful sponsor or mentor relationships? #womenleaders #radiology #RADxx
Mentors and students alike shared great suggestions for these relationship. Some added that new mentors shouldn’t doubt themselves and can feel confident in the experience that they have.
Others noted that social gatherings and conferences were important for networking and collaboration. We also saw several mentors highlight that the mentee must come prepared and deliver results, particularly when a mentor is investing so much time and effort into their education.
However, it also important to note that making mistakes is okay and part of the relationship between a mentor and mentee. It’s also okay if the first person you meet isn’t your ideal match. Just like friendships or romantic relationships, not every mentor & mentee relationship is meant to be and both must get back on the horse to find more well-suited matches.
Q3: What’s the #1 resource that would help open doors in your career? #RADxx #medicalimaging
When it came to helpful resources, the most popular answers were time, sponsorships, helpful department chairs, and networking.
Q4 What do you think of the #RADxx resource site? What should we add?
Question 4 was a bit of a surprise. We are developing a RADxx resource library site filled with articles about women RADs, radiology, and informatics that were suggested in the last twitter chat. We can’t wait to incorporate some of the suggestions and new resources that were offered during this chat.
Next came intriguing, Q5: Does your workplace have a taboo topic? #womenleaders #RADxx
Many “xy”s chimed in here with things they had witnessed throughout their careers.
The discussion ended by noting that since the US population is over half female, having female radiologists bring their perspective to the table is essential.
Thank you to all who participated! We encourage all to share additional resources with us – follow #RADxx on Twitter to continue the discussion, or join the Linkedin group here.
You can also see the full Storify of the event here.
If you’d like to meet-up and discuss or share your thoughts concerning RADxx, radiology, or informatics, we’ll be at both ACR & SIIM this year, booths 309 and 407 respectively.
Catherine Slotnick is a passionate healthcare marketer with a deep interest in the latest & greatest in the Health IT space. As Ambra Health's Director of Marketing, Catherine primarily focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership content in the radiology and informatics space. Catherine graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Psychology & Art History. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and petting dogs that aren't hers.
