Clinical Training

Our program believes there is no substitute for reading studies. For this reason you will be dictating studies starting day one at our program. Residents can expect one-on-one checkout and teaching throughout the day with their assigned staff for their rotation. We have fellowship-trained staff in all different subspecialties of radiology including body imaging, breast imaging, cardiothoracic imaging, interventional radiology, musculoskeletal imaging, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, and pediatric imaging that provide a well-rounded resident experience at the view-box and daily lectures.

Our program is a resident driven program with only two fellows, one breast imaging fellow and one interventional radiology fellow. Since our program is a high volume program with patient population and annual studies performed comparable to any large city, there is no shortage of work to be done. The fellow we have on breast imaging or interventional radiology is an excellent guide on these rotations without negatively impacting study volume or procedure experience for residents.

Our facility averages over one million studies performed each year. Our residents easily reach and surpass all ACGME requirements prior to graduation. Our program is unique because our residents read all of the cardiac MRIs and many obstetrical ultrasounds with our facility performing over 200 cardiac MRs and over 2,500 obstetrical ultrasounds annually. This is important because these studies are included on the ABR CORE exam and getting the opportunity to read them is invaluable in answering related questions. Our program also is unique as our Breast Imaging Section Chief Dr. Debra Monticciolo believes in residents having opportunity to perform breast biopsies with our facility performing over 1,200 procedures. Residents also have incredible opportunities to become proficient in procedures with over 12,000 interventional radiology procedures performed annually at our facility.

Our program also believes graduated responsibility and R1 residents can expect to be double covered on their initial core rotations. R1 residents will be on their initial core rotations for four-week blocks during their year to help with acclimating to radiology and improve learning. Core rotations for the R1 year include CT chest, CT body, fluoroscopy, CT neuro, MR neuro, pediatrics, ultrasound, musculoskeletal radiography, and nuclear medicine. All of these rotations have checkout with staff prior to signing the report but residents are encouraged to pre-dictate as much as possible. Each R1 resident will complete all of these rotations prior to starting a two-week block in the Emergency Department during the day. During the day in the Emergency Department, staff are available in the room if any questions should arise but residents are expected to sign off studies for staff review. R1 residents have all weekends and holidays off prior to the May and June, at which time they will start ED weekend coverage.

R2 year transitions to two-week blocks of the same core rotations with the addition of night float (three to four weeks), breast imaging (eight weeks), interventional radiology (eight weeks), and cardiovascular imaging. R3/R4 year also are on two-week blocks and cover two weeks of night float each academic year with R3 residents completing another four week block of breast imaging and R4 residents completing a two weeks of mammography screeners.

Weekend coverage in the Emergency Department is primarily covered by the R2 class with the day shift consisting of Saturday and Sunday covered from 8 am to 6 pm and a night shift on Saturday from 6 pm to 8 am. This is scheduled by each class and residents can be expected to work approximately fifteen weekends during their R2 year.

Interventional radiology call is covered by the R3 and R4 classes and consists of either Monday through Thursday shift covering the pager from 5 pm to 8 am or Friday through Sunday from 5 pm Friday to 8 am Monday morning. Typical calls residents receive include any interventional radiology emergent procedures and any emergent pediatric fluoroscopy such as upper gastrointestinal series for volvulus or intussusception reduction. Over the R3 and R4 years, residents can expect to work approximately seven to nine weekends. Residents receive call money for all weekend coverage, night float, and interventional radiology call.

Residents receive fifteen days of vacation and thirteen sick days per academic year. R1 and R4 residents have all institutional holidays off including Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. Our program also guarantees a whole week off during the winter holidays for all residents.

All residents that match into our program are guaranteed a position in our Internal Medicine internship. All of the residents that have taken advantage of this guaranteed position enjoy the hospital wide connections made during their intern year as well as improved familiarity with the hospital system. Residents also enjoy the early bonding with their fellow radiology co-residents.

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