Interventional Radiology Deserves Formal Recognition as a Distinct Medical Subspecialty: A Statement from the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association

摘要

In 2003, the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association (CIRA), the national body that represents interventional radiology (IR) in Canada, applied to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) for subspecialty recognition under the broader specialty of diagnostic radiology. The application was widely supported by stakeholder specialty societies and involved a two-step process. Step 1 was approved on March 22, 2004. Step 2 was rejected by the Committee of Specialties on May 4, 2006, on the grounds that IR did not meet the criteria of a subspecialty. The RCPSC also stated that the entry routes into IR were too restrictive, the extra training beyond that of diagnostic radiology did not meet the expectations for a subspecialty, and the advancement of an area focused on 'additional technical competence' didnot justify the formal designation of a subspecialty. This decision was appealed by the CIRA, and the case was reheard by the same Committee of Specialties that had initially refused the application. Ultimately, the final decision was announced by letter on May 23, 2007-rejection again on the basis of their conclusion that IR did not fulfill the criteria of a subspecialty. According to the RCPSC, the CIRA may not re-apply for subspecialty recognition for another 3 years from the date of the May 23 letter. More in-depth details of the process and events that occurred may be found in the article by Woolfson et al (1).