Department Spotlight: Meet Veronica Franco
The University of Toronto’s (UofT) Department of Medical Imaging has one of the most sought-after Diagnostic Radiology Residency programs, and the department’s administrative team is a key component of its success, including Veronica Franco, Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Residency Program Coordinator.
Originally starting her education and career out in Early Childhood Education, Veronica has always been on track to work in teaching or academics. “My ultimate plan was to get into the education field, whether that be as a teacher, a guidance counselor or working in higher education, like I am now,” she says.
After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at York University, Veronica decided to pivot away from working towards teaching to pursue a career in higher education, which she was able to start with Wilfrid Laurier University and Keypath Education, where she worked as a Senior Enrolment Advisor guiding students through their transition into education. “A lot of the people I worked with were looking to transition careers, go in a different direction, or just didn’t like the job or career they were in,” Veronica says. “I really enjoyed being able to understand each student and their needs, experience and prior education and help direct them to the right program.”
When Wilfrid Laurier and Keypath Education parted ways last year, Veronica transitioned into her new role as DR Residency Program Coordinator in the Department of Medical Imaging at UofT. “I’m really happy I was able to continue my career in higher education, and this role has been completely different, but it’s been a really great learning experience.”
In her role in Medical Imaging, Veronica is heavily involved in organizing exams like the OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) and mock oral exams, both of which take place twice a year and require extensive organization to prepare the 15 exam stations before they happen. This involves recruiting examiners, collecting, and organizing scans, ultrasound images and case studies and making sure residents are prepared for and aware of their exam schedules.
In between exam prep, Veronica also oversees Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s POWER and MESH AI systems, both of which are human resources tools that helps track residents’ payroll, vacation leaves, absences, schedules, and evaluations, among others. She also oversees training verifications, letters of reference to confirm good standing in residency or for other medical exams, as well as keeping contracts updated, distributing rotation schedules to partner hospitals, updating contact lists, and more.
“There’s a lot of moving parts in this role, but what’s great about it is I know what’s coming for most of the year ahead and I’m able to prepare and stay on top of things,” Veronica says. “Planning ahead and having things ready ahead of time is important to keeping things moving smoothly.”
While medical imaging and medical residency is new for Veronica, something she’s enjoyed has been learning about radiology, particularly being able to view and assess images and slides she collects for exams. “It’s really interesting looking at scans or images and getting a closer look at different parts of the body, which is something I’d never be exposed to otherwise,” she says. Adding to her learning curve has been getting accustomed to how medical academics work, including residency and appointments.
Looking to the months ahead, Veronica is currently working on handover documents for when she takes maternity leave this June when she will welcome her second child. “I’m working to make sure the handover is as smooth as possible and looking forward to returning after mat leave.” Congratulations Veronica!