Initiative Helps Transform Medical Student Engagement in Radiology

RSNA's Medical Student Task Force spurs engagement in radiology through mentorship, education and innovative programming

BY MARY HENDERSON January 05, 2026

Gupta

Kunzelman

Between 2019 and 2023, medical student membership in RSNA increased by 51%, and annual meeting student registration more than doubled. The catalyst behind these big gains? RSNA’s Medical Student Task Force (MSTF), an initiative born out of pandemic isolation and one resident’s drive to get medical students more involved in the field of radiology.

“We weren’t doing enough to engage medical students outside of providing grant funding, and I thought that could be a big opportunity for the largest radiology organization in the world,” said Yasha Gupta, MD, a breast radiologist at Valley Breast Care in Los Angeles.

Dr. Gupta was a resident at Mount Auburn Hospital when COVID-19 shut down rotations, sending medical students scrambling to find a home program. She quickly organized a mentorship program that matched 200 medical students seeking radiology residencies with mentors.

“That’s when I realized the level of interest in radiology among medical students,” Dr. Gupta said. “They were clamoring for volunteer opportunities and wanting to learn more about the field, but they didn’t have any resources.”

With support from RSNA staff, Dr. Gupta, Kirang Patel, MD, and Adam Swersky, MD, created an RSNA Board proposal for establishing the MSTF. It was shepherded by Jeffrey S. Klein, MD, now president of the RSNA Board of Directors.

Just four years later, the MSTF is a force of nature, with offerings expanding from travel scholarships to establishing active subcommittees for education and programming, research and innovation, communication and DEI.

A group of radiologists and radiology technicians are standing and sitting in front of a monitor displaying a radiology image

Member Experience and Impact

Jackie Kunzelman, MD, was a medical student at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, when she won one of the coveted travel scholarships to attend RSNA.

She quickly catapulted through the MSTF, first as a member, then as chair of the education subcommittee, and finally to co-chair of the entire task force.

"Attending the annual meeting is such an incredible steppingstone at that stage of your career,” said Dr. Kunzelman, now a radiology resident at the University of Utah. “Seeing the MSTF come to fruition, progress through its ranks, and then to be in charge of it was just the coolest experience."

With 25 members and two co-chairs, the MSTF covers a lot of ground. The highly read Medical Student Pulse e-newsletter delivers interviews with prominent radiologists, a case review section and tips on research opportunities.

It is distributed every quarter to more than 1,500 medical students and boasts an impressive 69% open rate and 16% click-through rate.

“It’s just so impressive that medical students create this publication by reaching out to different authors for article contributions, reviewing them with RSNA editors and making sure it's all on point,” Dr. Gupta said.

During the annual meeting, the MSTF also produces The Daily Dose, which is modeled after RSNA’s Case of the Day, presenting cases directed at medical students with teaching points. Student programming now fills the Resident Lounge schedule each year with sessions such as residency program director panels, speed mentoring, discussions on women in radiology, work-life balance and the popular Kahoot! case-based competition.

“I wanted to provide fun opportunities for other people to see radiology the way that I saw it—lively and attainable,” Dr. Kunzelman said. “I was able to devise the questions and moderate Kahoot! the first year, which ended up being a wild success.”

“It's almost as much fun watching Kahoot! as it is participating,” Dr. Gupta added. “Medical students don't typically get the chance to ‘do’ radiology, they just watch us.”

“Reading the applications is humbling. You can tell that everyone is incredibly passionate about radiology and has already put years of their lives into research."

— JACQUELINE KUNZELMAN, MD

Building a Future Pipeline

The availability of engaging medical student programming has changed the trainee experience at RSNA.

“There’s a lot of appreciation among students for the MSTF because they feel like they have a place at RSNA now,” Dr. Kunzelman said. “It encourages them to submit research or become involved with the MSTF.”

Both Drs. Gupta and Kunzelman are still actively involved in RSNA as members of the Residents and Fellows Committee (RFC), noting that recruitment and retention of RSNA members was one of the task force’s long-term goals. To date, the MSTF has 53 past members, not including those currently serving. Of those, 49 individuals moved into a residency or transitional year in radiology.

Dr. Kunzelman reviewed applications for the travel scholarship that introduced her to RSNA. “Reading the applications is humbling,” she said. “You can tell that everyone is incredibly passionate about radiology and has already put years of their lives into research."

That passion has fueled the MSTF’s success and will, in turn, help the field of radiology flourish in the future. "Getting students involved very early is how we can make an impact and recruit more radiologists,” Dr. Gupta said. “If we can tap into their energy and desire to spread the word about RSNA, it will build loyalty and strengthen the field for the future.”