The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) has announced that Hospital Metropolitano in Quito, Ecuador, will be the host location of a new Global Learning Center (GLC). This is the first GLC site in South America.
“RSNA is pleased to be partnering with Hospital Metropolitano to bring a Global Learning Center to Ecuador,” said Umar Mahmood, MD, Ph.D., RSNA Board Liaison for International Affairs. “We plan to create a valuable radiology curriculum for the GLC that will offer a robust education program tailored to the needs of South America and the Quito region.”
By partnering with established radiology departments based in low- or middle-income countries to create the learning centers, RSNA aims to improve radiology education and patient care around the world. The inaugural RSNA GLC launched in early 2020 at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town, South Africa. A second GLC opened at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania in September 2020. The goal is that RSNA GLCs become regional hubs for excellence in radiology education.
“We are very honored and excited to start this promising program in our small country in South America,” said Elizabeth Zamora, MD, Hospital Metropolitano GLC program director and member of the RSNA Regional Committee for Latin America. “I am sure we will all benefit from it.”
Now that the host site has been selected, over a three-year period, a team of RSNA members will work with the GLC to develop a customized educational plan, including a curriculum with hands-on training, didactic lectures, conferences, online courses and other education offerings. Equipment and technical assistance will also be provided based on the needs of the host site.
RSNA team members will travel to Ecuador to learn about the GLC’s educational needs. The team will present lectures and provide hands‐on training and point‐of‐care opportunities. The RSNA team, in close consultation with the local team, will design and present an educational plan, customized to the needs of the GLC, using RSNA educational resources. The curriculum will feature musculoskeletal (MSK) and cardiothoracic imaging.
RSNA has issued a call for applications to join the Hospital Metropolitano GLC team. Radiologists with subspecialties in MSK and cardiothoracic imaging are needed. Proficiency in Spanish is preferred but not required.
RSNA also seeks team members for the other two GLCs. MSK and cardiothoracic radiologists are needed for the Stellenbosch University GLC, and radiologists specializing in women’s imaging or neuroradiology are needed at MUHAS.
The application deadline for all three GLC teams is November 23, 2021. To learn more about the RSNA Global Learning Centers program, visit RSNA.org/GLC.
