Carolynn DeBenedectis Announced as New Residency Director

Radiology Department Chair Dr. Max Rosen is pleased to announce that Carolynn M. DeBenedectis, MD will take on the position of Radiology Residency Director when Joseph Makris, MD steps down for a new post in Georgia. Dr. DeBenedectis begins her new responsibilities by particiapting in the interview process of 98 radiology residency candidates. The Radiology Department currently has 19 residents in post graduate years 2-5.
 
Dr. Carolynn M. DeBenedectis is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Gerogetown University Medical School. She completed her internship in internal medicine at St Vincent Hospital in Worcester and her Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University School of Medicine. Carolynn went on to complete a Women’s Imaging Fellowship at BIDMC/Harvard Medical School. She joined the UMass Chan Center faculty in July 2012 as a breast imager. Dr. DeBenedectis has been Co- Assistant Director of the Radiology Residency since 2013. During that time Carolynn has developed a curriculum for teaching and evaluating radiology residents effective communication skills. Her work in this area has received national recognition and as a result she has consulted with other radiology residencies to set up similar programs and has been invited to serve on the ACR committee for patient and family centered care being tasked with the responsibility of creating guidelines for implementing communication skills training and evaluation into the residency curriculum nationwide. Her manuscript about her curriculum has been accepted for publication in JACR. Dr. DeBenedectis has also worked with Dr. Stephen Brown at Boston Children’s Hospital to develop and validate a new communication skills assessment form that is specific for radiology (KalRads).  In addition she has created and published a Mammo Learning Module on MedEd Portal which has been downloaded and used by numerous residency programs. Carolynn has also been the recieptient of numerous teaching awards; Dean Excellent in Teaching Award from Brown University School of Medicine, Fellow of the Year Teaching Award from BIDMC, and Teacher of the Year Award here at UMass. Dr. DeBenedectis is also very involved in the medical school being a voting member of the admissions committee, an MMI rater, on the admission committee for the BaccMD and HSPP program, and the Burncoat House specialty advisor in radiology.

Dr. DeBenedectis brings her immense energy, enthusiasm, love of teaching, and work ethic to the residency program.  She looks forward to maintaining the great work Dr. Makris has done and continuing to make sure the residents have the best educational experience possible here at UMass. In addition, Dr. DeBenedectis and Dr. Rosen plan to create new Faculty Roles in Student, Resident and Fellow Education and will create more opportunities for Clinician Faculty.