In medical school I was drawn to procedural specialties which led me to organize an interventional radiology elective

I have always enjoyed medical procedures and thought I would end up in a surgical specialty. All that changed one day when I was a General Practitioner: I was working in ICU and we had a patient in the unit with pancreatitis who was not doing too well.

I had always been drawn to a surgical specialty and with an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, I had thought about going into Neurosurgery so signed up for a summer research internship, complete with shadowing in the clinic and OR.

The purpose of the CAIR Award is to recognize those who have made significant contributions and provided extraordinary service to the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association and/or the discipline of Interventional Radiology.

The Department of Medical Imaging, McMaster University and the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hamilton Health Sciences are seeking a combined full-time academic interventional and body radiologist for the Hamilton General Hospital site

The Department of Medical Imaging, McMaster University and the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hamilton Health Sciences are seeking a full-time academic interventional radiologist for the Hamilton General Hospital site.

A key moment that solidified my decision was seeing the differences between an open neurosurgical clipping and a coiling when treating ruptured aneurysms. The ability to use imaging guidance to navigate catheters and instruments through the body, directly addressing the medical issue without the need for large incisions, was nothing short of remarkable. This experience underscored the profound impact interventional radiology can have on patient outcomes, and I wanted to be a part of this transformative field.

The work intensity of IR can seem intimidating but there are so many ways to make an IR practice work for you, leading to long lasting and rewarding career.

Dr. Machan is an early Canadian proponent of interventional radiology. A clinical practitioner at the Vancouver Hospital and an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, he continues to innovate while guiding others on their own paths to growth and success. His company created and licensed the paclitaxel coated stent, which has improved the lives of people with peripheral arterial disease.

I was rostered to be in Interventional Radiology suites on one day of that week. Completely oblivious of what it was, I went and attended. The first patient on the list was an IVC filter insertion. I had no idea what the procedure involved and thought it would take hours. I was introduced to the consultant and I saw him prepping for it. I was chatting with the nurses and in 5 minutes the operator turned around and said ‘DONE’.