Podcast
Contrast and Clarity with the JACR
Hosted by Maddi Wulfeck · EN
Welcome to "Contrast & Clarity with the JACR," where we dive into the latest trends in the world of radiology. Join hosts Maddi Wulfeck and Jeff Waltz as they discuss current radiology topics and innovations that are shaping the future of healthcare. Topics will span the hottest trends in radiology such as artificial intelligence, expert perspectives, and what the future holds for the field.
Whether you're a seasoned radiologist, resident, medical student, or simply curious about the field, this podcast sets the stage for an exciting journey into the world of medical imaging.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
43. Yea But...Who Watches the Algorithms?
2d ago00:34:33Tap to summarizeFor years, the AI conversation in radiology has focused on one question: Will AI replace radiologists? But what if we've been asking the wrong question this whole time?In this episode of Contrast & Clarity with the JACR, Maddi and Jeff sit down with Tessa Cook, MD, PhD to explore one of the biggest unsolved challenges in healthcare AI:Who watches the algorithms after they are deployed? AI models don't behave like CT scanners or medications. They can drift, degrade, and encounter new populations, protocols, and real-world conditions long after FDA clearance. That's where Assess-AI, the ACR Data Science Institute's fist national AI monitoring initiative, comes in. Using large language models to extract findings from radiology reports, Assess-AI creates a scalable way to compare AI predictions against what radiologists actually report. In other words: Radiologists read the scans. AI reads the scans. And now AI is reading the radiologists. Join us as we discuss AI governance, post-deployment monitoring, model drift, and why radiology may be uniquely positioned to become healthcare's AI control tower. Because building AI is one thing. Building systems we can trust is another. Find the full JACR article here: https://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(26)00231-0/fulltextLink to the 2026 SIIM-ACR Data Science Summit: https://www.acr.org/Data-Science-and-Informatics/SIIM-DSI-Summit
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42. Artifacts of the Mind Part 4: Emotional Intelligence as the Antidote
2w ago01:14:51Tap to summarizeMedicine has a fascinating business model: Take a group of high-achieving perfectionists, lock them in a dark reading room, make every decision high stakes, and then act surprised when everyone develops imposter syndrome. So for the final installment of Artifacts of the Mind series, Maddi and Jeff decided it was time to stop simply identifying the problem...and finally ask the question every healthcare worker is secretly thinking: "How do we make our brains calm down for like...five minutes?"To help answer that, they called in an expert. Joined by emotional intelligence specialist, educator, and bestselling author Dr. Jeffrey Frey, this episode gets down and dirty with the actual mechanics behind imposter syndrome: the thinking traps, the perfectionism, the hypervigilance, the "if I miss one finding my career is over" spiral, and why high performers are often the absolute worst at extending grace to themselves. But this episode isn't just existential group therapy for exhausted healthcare workers. It's practical. Dr. Frey breaks down emotional intelligence in a way that actually makes sense for medicine and offers concrete strategies to regulate anxiety, build resilience, reframe failure, and stop letting fear masquerade as professionalism. Because maybe the goal was never to eliminate self-doubt entirely. Maybe the goal is learning how to open the next case without your nervous system acting like it's being hunted for sport. The Artifacts of the Mind finale is here - and for once, the differential diagnosis is your own internal monologue. Find Dr. Frey's book on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/hQ26G
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41. Artifacts of the Mind Part 3: The F-Word
May 300:41:00Tap to summarizeWhat's the one word that medicine avoids at all costs?Failure. In Part 3 of the Artifacts of the Mind series, we stop whispering about imposter syndrome...and start confronting the culture that fuels it: perfectionism. This episode widens the lens. Maddi and Jeff talk with David Fessell, MD and Frank J. Lexa, MD MBA about perfection culture and how the illusion of infallibility doesn't protect us - it holds us back. Because in medicine, perfection culture amplifies self-doubt...while mistakes, near misses, and discomfort are the reps that actually build expertise. You don't want a fair-weather pilot when the plane hits turbulence. You want the one who's been through it - and knows how to respond. So don't fear the F-word. Use it. Find the JACR articles here: https://shorturl.at/tU3mX
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40. TLDR April Issue: The Carbon Cost of Imaging
Apr 2600:38:35Tap to summarizeIt can difficult to find the time to read an entire JACR issue cover to cover!Welcome to TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read) - a new monthly series from Contrast & Clarity where we break down the entire monthly JACR issue into the insights that actually matter. This month: Sustainability in Radiology.Because here's the reality - imaging isn't exactly carbon-neutral. Between energy-hungry scanners, contrast waste, and high-throughput workflows, radiology has a footprint...and it's bigger than most of us realize. In this episode, we cut through the academic clutter and get to the good stuff:Guest editor Florence Doo, MD MA gives us special insight into the issueWhere radiology is unexpectedly contributing to healthcare emissionsThe tension between quality, cost, and sustainabilityPractical insight that doesn't tank workflowsAnd what all this means for the future of imagingNo fluff. Just the contrast that highlights the problem - and the clarity on what to do next. Think of this as your unfair advantage walking into your next board meeting, lecture, or Twitter debate. Find the entire JACR April Focus Issue here: https://www.jacr.org/issue/S1546-1440(26)X2002-6
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39. Artifacts of the Mind Part 2: Imposter Syndrome - Bug or Feature? *CME*
Apr 1900:40:06Tap to summarizeIn part 2 of Artifacts of the Mind, we flip the script: what if imposter syndrome isn't a flaw...but a signal for growth? Maddi and Jeff are joined by Hanna Zafar, MD MHS to explore the idea of "failing up" - rethinking failure not as something to hide, but something to use. Because while residency makes learning loud, post-training culture often makes it silent - and that's exactly where doubt thrives. We get into why failure is not just inevitable, but essential for progress - and how embracing it can reshape both mindset and culture. This isn't about "coping" with imposter syndrome. It's about redefining it and owning it. So don't avoid failure - use it. Claim your CME here: https://shorturl.at/afPquFind the JACR articles here: https://shorturl.at/tU3mX
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38. Artifacts of the Mind Part 1: Paging Dr. Imposter *CME*
Apr 500:35:52Tap to summarizeRadiology has a dirty little secret.The people who look the most confident...often feel like they're faking it. In this episode, Maddi and Jeff talk with Sherry Wang, MBBS about one of the most pervasive - and least talked about - realities in radiology: imposter syndrome. Why does it hit hardest when you're succeeding?Why does guilt follow you from the reading room...straight home?And why do so many high-achieving radiologists feel like they're one mistake away from being "found out"? This episode is raw, honest, and uncomfortably relatable - in the best way. Because the truth is: imposter syndrome isn't a personal failure...it's a shared experience. And once you see it clearly, you can start to take your power back. Find the JACR article here: https://shorturl.at/MPCqiClaim your CME here: https://shorturl.at/XfRIi
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37. Modern Medicine is Image-Driven. Why isn’t medical education?
Mar 2200:42:45Tap to summarizeRadiology runs medicine.So why are we teaching it like a side quest? In this episode of Contrast & Clarity, Maddi and Jeff talk with Scott Simpson, DO, MSEd and Daniel DePietro, MD about the uncomfortable truth: we’re graduating physicians who rely on imaging every day…but were barely taught how to use it.We get into:Why radiology education shows up too late (and too inconsistently)The hidden cost of not teaching imaging earlyAnd why fixing this isn't about adding content - it's about redesigning the systemBecause imaging isn’t a consult anymore.It’s the operating system. Find the full JACR article here: https://shorturl.at/z9W1A
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36. Flip it, Click it, and Send it: How we Should be Teaching Residents in 2026
Mar 800:51:39Tap to summarizeAre we training radiology residents for yesterday’s world?Because the traditional model of workstation teaching + didactic conferences? It may not be sustainable anymore.In this week's episode, Maddi and Jeff sit down with the authors of “Alternative Approaches to Resident Education” to unpack what the future of radiology training could — and maybe should — look like:· Social media as a legitimate educational tool· AI-powered feedback platforms and “precision education”· Peer learning models reshaping safety culture· Flipped classrooms and spaced-repetition learningBut this isn’t just about shiny new tools. It’s about economics. Opportunity cost. Faculty time. Educational ROI. And is there a smarter, more sustainable way to train the next generation? If we want better-trained radiologists in a high-volume, AI-augmented future...we may need to rethink how we teach – and what we are willing to invest. Because the real question isn’t whether education needs to evolve. It’s whether we’re willing to redesign it.Find the full JACR article here: https://shorturl.at/0ASDg
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35. Radiology Workload is Up 90% Please Send Snacks *CME*
Feb 2200:21:57Tap to summarizeImaging volumes are "down."Radiologist workload is "up."Length is stay is longer.Wait. What?In this episode of Contrast & Clarity with the JACR, Maddi and Jeff sat down with Tina Shiang, MD to unpack her recent analysis of inpatient imaging utilization and radiology workload over the past decade. Here is the twist: when imaging is adjusted for disease severity, overall inpatient imaging utilization actually decreased. But CT and MRI utilization rose sharply - and the professional workload tied to those studies skyrocketed. Translation? There may be fewer studies per patient overall - but we are reading far more complex studies. If you care about imaging value, radiologist well-being, operational strategy, or the future of hospital-based radiology - this conversation and the underlying data are essential. Because the real question isn't just how much imaging we are doing, it's what kind of imaging we are doing - and who is carrying the weight. Find the full JACR article here: https://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(25)00278-9/abstractClaim your CME credit here: https://shorturl.at/m2OyY
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34. AI Roadblocks Part 3: The Way Forward
Feb 700:59:54Tap to summarizeThat “black box” AI algorithm your practice just bought might look sleek on a demo screen—but when something goes wrong, it won’t be the software company signing the report. It’ll be you. In this episode of Contrast & Clarity, Maddi and Jeff interview Ken Davis, Senior Counsel in Healthcare at Katten Law Firm, for a no-fluff conversation about the intersection of radiology, contract law, and the use of artificial intelligence. Together, we dive into the legal realities of AI implementation – and the due diligence that radiologists can’t afford to ignore. We explore questions like:· What kind of due diligence should practices perform before deploying AI?· How do clinical vs. nonclinical AI tools differ from a liability standpoint?· Why is it important to try to see beyond the black box nature of an algorithm?· What should new radiologists know about the AI their group uses? If your practice is using AI – or considering it – this episode is your legal reality check. Find the prior relevant JACR articles here:https://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(25)00444-2/abstracthttps://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(25)00438-7/abstractFind Ken Davis’ article “Top Ten Legal Considerations forUse and/or Development of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare”: https://shorturl.at/0CrE5Find the additional article mentioned on patients’ views on the use of AI in healthcare: https://shorturl.at/iJ7ia
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