From left to right: UVA Radiology’s resident Olivia Richardson, MD, associate professor Amy Taylor, MD, MBA, and resident Amy Crumb, MD; along with Dr. Ji Hoon Shin, IR attending physician at ASAN Medical Center and the current president of the Korean Society of Interventional Radiology.
Last month, IR faculty and residents from UVA Radiology traveled to South Korea for an intensive and educational week of interventional radiology.
From February 2 to 6, Associate Professor Amy Taylor, MD, MBA, and PGY-5 Interventional Radiology residents Amy Crumb, MD, and Olivia Richardson, MD, attended the 23rd International Intensive Course for Interventional Radiology. Hosted annually in Seoul by the Korean Society of Interventional Radiology, the gathering serves as a touchpoint for interventional radiologists across the world; it includes a slate of lectures and hands-on workshops aimed towards strengthening the knowledge and skills of early-career IR physicians.
IICIR attendees participated in several hands-on workshops as part of the event.
For Drs. Crumb and Richardson, the IICIR was a much-anticipated educational milestone for their future careers and offered unique opportunities to learn.
“Knowing we send our upper-level IR residents to the International Intensive Course for Interventional Radiology was one of the reasons UVA stood out to me when interviewing for residency,” said Dr. Crumb. “The didactics covered the breadth of IR, were of excellent quality, and offered perspective to techniques and procedures we don’t often perform in the states; for example, glue embolization is much more common in South Korea because NCBA is way cheaper!”
Similarly, Dr. Richardson noted how the combination of international attendees and high-quality practical workshops made the event a special experience.
“Learning from international experts and exchanging ideas with colleagues was both inspiring and enriching,” said Dr. Richardson. “The highlight for me was the animal lab, where we got a chance to practice deploying coils, stents, and even performing a TIPS procedure on a pig: a unique, hands-on experience that greatly boosted my technical confidence.”
Amy Taylor, MD, MBA, associate professor of radiology and medical imaging at UVA, delivered two presentations at IICIR, titled “Embolotherapy in Trauma Patients” and “Gynecologic Embolotherapy.”
The IICIR was also an opportunity for UVA Radiology’s knowledge and talents to be shared with a global audience. Dr. Taylor, associate professor at UVA’s division of vascular and interventional radiology, delivered two talks at the IIRIC: “Embolotherapy in Trauma Patients” and “Gynecologic Embolotherapy.”
As part of the trip, the UVA Radiology group also visited the ASAN Medical Center, the largest medical center in Seoul with 2400 beds. There, they observed cases in ASAN’s interventional radiology department; Dr. Taylor also served as an invited lecturer, giving a case conference titled “Educational Cases from the University of Virginia” to the hospital’s Diagnostic Radiology residents and IR fellows and faculty.
Overall, said the IR residents, the trip was an invaluable experience in their training and for their futures as physicians.
“It was a week of growth, learning, and valuable connections that I will carry into my future practice,” said Dr. Richardson.
Dr. Crumb agreed strongly: “A highlight of my residency!”
Olivia Richardson, MD, is presented with her certificate for completing the IICIR program.
Amy Crumb, MD, enjoying some sightseeing in South Korea as part of the international trip.
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