Dr. Kirti Magudia, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Duke University School of Medicine. After completing her Abdominal Imaging and Ultrasound Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, earlier this year, Dr. Magudia knew she wanted to continue to work in academia and transitioned seamlessly into her career as a professor.

Dr. Magudia discovered her passion for radiology while a Cornell/Sloan Kettering/Rockefeller Tri-Institutional MD/PhD program student. Because of the program’s great mentors and inspiring coursework, Dr. Magudia decided to pursue her residency in diagnostic radiology at Brigham & Women’s Women’s Hospital, followed by her fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Radiology Rewarding
Working as a radiologist has been very rewarding in many ways for Dr. Magudia. She enjoys how integral radiology is to the clinical management of patients. Medical imaging directly contributes to what happens next for them. Working with colleagues, trainees, and providers from other medical specialties is essential in radiology to determine the best course of treatment for each patient. Dr. Magudia loves working on a big team that challenges her to learn new things every day.

Dr. Magudia’s contributions to radiology and the medical field go beyond her work in the reading room. She has had a long-standing commitment to the promotion of gender equity in radiology and medicine. She co-founded and led the Brigham & Women’s Hospital Women in Radiology Program as a resident and was awarded her department’s Resident Leadership Award for this sustained effort. Currently, she is working to help establish a similar organization at Duke. The goal of these groups is to promote mentoring, networking, recruitment of women, and improved career satisfaction and success of their members.

Gender Equality and Parental Leave

Dr. Magudia’s effort to establish programs to promote gender equity in the medical field led her to advocate for residents and fellow parents receiving proper parental leave. She contributed to multiple research publications related to parental leave, two of which will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. She also led a collective response to the American Board of Radiology’s proposed family/medical leave policy for residents last March that was endorsed by 12 national organizations/committees and published in the Journal of Radiology. The response also passed the American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) amendment to resolution 48 at the 2021 American College of Radiology (ACR) annual meeting. She was appointed as an ACR councilor-at-large and is working to promote a resolution for paid family/medical leave for all radiology trainees and attendings at the 2022 ACR annual meeting.

As a strong advocate for gender equity in radiology, Dr. Magudia believes it is a terrific field for women. Radiology is very stimulating, engaging, and rewarding, yet it allows women to have a healthy work-life balance.

“The most important message I have for women in radiology is to believe in yourself,” said Magudia. “You belong in this field just as much as anyone else. Cultivate good relationships, find good mentors, and payback these efforts to others. Stand up for what you believe in as others may not be strong enough to advocate for themselves, and you may be able to help them. Remember that your best sponsors, mentors, and collaborators may be men.”

Dr. Magudia is just beginning her career as a professor in radiology, but she has already become a fantastic role model for both women and men pursuing a career in medicine. Through her advocacy for gender equity, she is a strong leader that promotes inclusivity in the field. By creating a strong support system for medical students, she is helping the field continually grow and diversify.

More Information:

Duke University School of Medicine