Purpose: High-fidelity virtual reality simulators are available to practice tasks in a safe and forgiving environment. However, such simulators are expensive and not readily available. The aim of this study was to gauge the usefulness of an inexpensive homemade physical simulator and its ability to quantify differences in the level of proficiency in basic catheter-wire handling skills among individuals with various levels of expertise within an interventional radiology department. Materials: The performance of nonexperts (trainees and tech- nologists) was compared with that of endovascular physician specialists (experts). Twenty-four nonexperts and 11 experts completed two tasks with this simulator: 1) inserting a wire and withdrawing the indwelling catheter without displacing the tip of the wire, and 2) inserting a catheter and withdrawing the indwelling wire. Metrics on the time taken to complete the task and the errors made during the task were recorded. Surveys were conducted to record the confidence level of par- ticipants on a scale of 1 (least) to 10 (most). Opinions of the experts regarding the realism of the simulator and its readiness to be part of a training curriculum were also collected on a similar scale. Data were analyzed using paired and unpaired t-tests. Results: Before the simulation, nonexperts reported lower levels of confidence in their ability to perform the tasks compared to experts (mean, 5.5 vs 9.36; p < 0.01). Nonexperts took longer than experts to complete the tasks, and they made more errors. After completing the simulation, nonexperts re- ported significantly higher levels of confidence (mean, 8.7; p < 0.01). The experts believed that compared to patient-based training, the realism offered by this simulator was good (mean, 7.1). They supported its use in training and evaluation (mean, 8.5 and 8.1, respectively) before trainees transition to patient- based learning. Conclusions: This study suggests that an inexpensive homemade simulator can play a useful role in offering a safe environment for trainees and technologists to master basic catheter-wire handling skills. Experts considered this setup to be realistic and supported its use in teaching and assessment. 3:27 PM Abstract No. 295 Effect of gender on trainee evaluations of faculty M. Koran 1 , M. Fassiotto 1 , G. Hwang 1 , Y. Maldonado 1 , N. Kothary 1 ; 1 Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA Purpose: Feedback provided by trainees is an important criterion for promotion in academia. Understanding the influence of gender bias, especially for physicians who contradict stereotypes, is crucial. Herein we report trainee evaluations for faculty, with particular attention to surgical fields, including catheter lab-based specialties. Materials: Between July 2010 and 2015, trainees at a tertiary hospital evaluated 1329 faculty with clinical duties (454 surgical faculty, 875 non-surgical faculty). Anonymized evaluations were processed through a graduate education management system that arrived at an objective score (1-10) by averaging individual trainee scores for the faculty for each year. The effects on score of vari- ables including gender, rank, track and ethnicity were tested. Results: A total of 4612 evaluations were analyzed. The overall median score was 9.26 (range, 3.01-10). Male gender, non- surgical specialty, professoriate track, and professorial rank were all favored (p ¼ 0.003, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively). After controlling for rank and track, the overall effect of gender disappeared, indicating that the low represen- tation of women at professorial rank and professoriate track drove lower median scores. However, the effect of gender remained for surgical specialties, despite controlling for rank and track, with female surgeons receiving significantly lower median scores than male surgeons and physicians in medical specialties (p ¼ 0.04). Conclusions: Overall female physicians received lower me- dian scores, likely effected by greater populace at lower ranks and in non-professorial tracks. Female physicians in male- dominated surgical specialties, by contradicting perceived sex- role expectations, may have faced negative stereotyping, fairing far less favorably compared to their female counterparts in medical specialties, and to all male physicians irrespective of their specialty. 3:36 PM Abstract No. 296 To evaluate the effects of increased medical student exposure to interventional radiology on interest in and basic knowledge of interventional radiology J. Do 1 , S. Shamimi-Noori 2 ; 1 Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; 2 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Purpose: To report the preliminary results of implementing a medical student interventional radiology curriculum in preclinical and clinical years Materials: The IR student curriculum was restructured to in- crease preclinical and clinical student exposure to the field. Changes were implemented in 2014 and completed in 2015. Student exposure was increased through career day presentations, creation of an IR interest group, a formal IR shadowing program, a 1st year didactic lecture, a new 3rd year IR elective and reor- ganization of a 4th year IR elective. In the 2016 academic year, 29 students elected the 3rd year IR course and completed pre- and postelective surveys. The surveys evaluated IR exposure, interest in IR and basic knowledge of IR procedures. Identical questions were used on pre- and postcourse examinations. Membership statistics for the IR interest group were evaluated during the 2015 and 2016 academic years. Results: The top 3 methods of IR exposure prior to the 3rd year elective included exposure by a friend or family member (55% of students), preclinical lectures (52%) and care for a patient treated by IR (45%). Primary career choice considerations were medical in 52% of students, surgical in 24%, DR in 3%, IR in 14% and other in 7% preelective compared to 45%, 21%, 0%, 21% and 14% respectively post-elective. Post elective, there was an in- crease in consideration of IR as a career by 14%, increase in awareness of the IR/DR residency program by 17% and increase in basic knowledge of IR procedures by 17%. Interest group membership increase by 53% between 2015 and 2016 (93 vs. 142 members). Member attendance to at least 1 organized event increased by 27%. JVIR ▪ Scientific Sessions Tuesday ▪ S127 TUESDAY: Scientific Sessions