RSNA Press Release

OAK BROOK, Ill. (November 1, 2011) — Jeffrey J. Peterson, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., will bring his medical expertise to Yangon, Myanmar, as part of the International Visiting Professor Program offered by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The program fosters international relations among radiology societies to assist with medical education in developing and newly developed nations.

Dr. Peterson, residency program director and professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic, will be joined by two fellow radiologists as he embarks November 2 on the 11-day trip. He will spend his visit giving presentations and teaching intensive seminars to radiology residents, as well as attending conferences and meetings.

The program is mutually beneficial. The visiting team of radiologists informs local doctors and hospitals about the latest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology. In turn, the visiting professors experience firsthand the obstacles faced by medical professionals in the host countries.

"It is a distinct honor to participate in the International Visiting Professors Program," Dr. Peterson said. "As a residency program director, I am looking forward to experiencing the teaching environment and the quality and level of training available in Myanmar. I also hope to gain a greater understanding of the imaging equipment and breadth of imaging services and procedures available in that part of the world. I seek to establish enduring relationships with the faculty and trainees in Yangon and hope to educate them on the services and resources the RSNA has to offer our international colleagues. I hope we are able to contribute significantly to the host group and their training programs, and I am confident it will be an enriching experience."

Dr. Peterson will be accompanied by Thomas B. Kinney, M.D., from the University of California San Diego Medical Center, and Howard A. Rowley, M.D., from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Dr. Peterson will visit the radiology departments of Yangon General Hospital, Yangon Children's Hospital and the Central Women's Hospital. Dr. Peterson will conclude his trip by attending the Myanmar Radiological Society Meeting.

The International Visiting Professor Program was founded in 1986 and is administered by RSNA's Committee on International Relations and Education. This program is supported by Agfa HealthCare.

RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

The RSNA Committee on International Relations and Education was established in 1986 to advise the RSNA on how the Society might provide international assistance to enhance radiologic education in countries requesting and requiring assistance. (RSNA.org/International/CIRE)