Our academic year begins on July 1 and consists of 13 four-week blocks. Incoming residents are assigned to one block each of GI Radiology, Chest Imaging, Abdominal Imaging (CT/MR), Nuclear Medicine, Neuroradiology, and US/GU Radiology for the first six months so that they have exposure to all pertinent areas prior to taking call.
At the present time, it is planned that each resident will have the following experience:
Year 1 (PGY2):
Abdominal Imaging (CT/MR) -- 1 block
Chest Imaging -- 2 blocks
GI Radiology -- 2 blocks
Musculoskeletal Radiology -- 1 block
Neuroradiology -- 2 blocks
Night Float -- 1 block
Nuclear Medicine -- 2 blocks
US/GU Radiology -- 1 block
Vascular and Interventional Radiology -- 1 block
Year 2 (PGY3):
Abdominal Imaging (CT/MR) -- 1 block
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology -- 1.5 blocks
Breast Imaging -- 1 block
Cardiac MRI -- 1 block
Chest Imaging -- 0.5 block
GI Radiology -- 1 block
Musculoskeletal Radiology -- 1 block
MSK/Body MR -- 1 block
Neuroradiology -- 1 block
Night Float -- 1 block
Nuclear Cardiology -- 1 block
OB/Gyn Ultrasonography -- 1 block
Pediatric Radiology -- 1 block
Year 3 (PGY4):
Abdominal Imaging (CT/MR) -- 1 block
Breast Imaging -- 1 block
Chest Imaging -- 0.75 block
Elective -- 1 block
GI Radiology -- 1 block
Musculoskeletal Radiology -- 1 block
Neuroradiology -- 2 blocks
Night Float -- 0.25 block
Nuclear Medicine -- 1 block
Pediatric Radiology -- 1 block
US/GU Radiology -- 1 block
Vascular and Interventional Radiology -- 2 blocks
Year 4 (PGY5):
Abdominal Imaging (CT/MR) -- 1.5 blocks
Breast Imaging -- 1 block
Cardiac Cath Lab -- 0.5 block
Chest Imaging -- 1 block
Elective -- 2 blocks
Musculoskeletal Radiology -- 1 block
Neuroradiology -- 1 block
Night Float -- 1 block
Nuclear Medicine -- 1 block
OB/Gyn Ultrasonography -- 1 block
Pediatric Radiology -- 1 block
Vascular and Interventional Radiology -- 1 block
What are the conference opportunities?
Daily departmental resident conference occurs at 7:30 AM. In addition, there are daily conferences at noon, consisting of Tumor Board, Orthopedic Radiology Case Conference, GI/Radiology Conference, Journal Club, Missed Case and Patient Safety Review Conference, NonClinical Skills Conference, and various subspecialty case conferences.
There are also numerous weekly intradepartmental conferences which the radiology residents are expected to attend when on rotation, including Chest Conference, Neuroscience Grand Rounds, Multidisciplinary Conference on Early Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer, and Vascular Conference.
We use a Night Float system. Each resident is assigned to one block each year, with the exception of the third year when it is reduced to one week, of Night Float, which means that the assigned resident covers in-house on pager as follows:
Sunday, 5 PM to Monday, 8 AM
Monday, 8 PM to Tuesday, 8 AM
Tuesday, 8 PM to Wednesday, 8 AM
Wednesday, 8 PM to Thursday, 8 AM
Thursday, 8 PM to Friday, 8 AM
The resident on Night Float attends 7:30 AM conference, checks out with the faculty, and is then free to leave.
During the week, 5 PM to 8 PM is covered by the resident assigned to "short call."
The weekend is covered as follows:
Friday, 8 PM to Saturday, 8 AM
Saturday, 8 AM to Sunday, 8 AM
Sunday, 8 AM to Sunday, 5 PM
On average, each resident will have approximately 15 short calls each year, and four call assignments each on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Incoming residents do not take primary call during their first six months. Beginning in August, they are assigned to "buddy call" in order to become familiar with the various situations they will face on call, that is, they shadow the upper-class resident on short call (assigned once each week) and on Saturday (assigned once each month). On January 1, the first-year residents begin to take primary call in rotation with the more senior residents.
The subspecialties of neuroradiology, neurointerventional radiology, abdominal imaging, musculoskeletal/spine imaging, and vascular/interventional radiology are each covered by an attending radiologist 24/7.
We are proud of the performance of our graduates, who have consistently passed the written and oral examinations of the American Board of Radiology. Referencing the examination data provided by the American Board of Radiology on their website, our program is statistically in line with the experience of other programs in the nation.
Where do your graduates end up after completing their training?
Our residents who choose to pursue additional subspecialty training, whether in neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology, body imaging, vascular and interventional radiology, women's imaging, or pediatric radiology, are consistently accepted into the program of their choice. Graduates who pursue employment immediately after completing their residency have no difficulty in successfully locating practice opportunities in line with their professional aspirations. Following is some information about our most recent graduates.
Class of 2007:
I. Michael Fras, M.D., fellowship in nuclear radiology at Duke University
Melanie H. Hodge, M.D., fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology at USC, Los Angeles
Bibianna A. Klepchick, M.D., fellowship in breast imaging. Allegheny General Hospital
Talmage L. Shill, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital
Class of 2006:
Azam Eghbal, M.D., fellowship in pediatric radiology at Boston Children's Hospital
Christopher J. Friend, M.D., fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology at the U of Arizona
Caroline L. Ho, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging at the George Washington Hospital
Alecia M. Rideau, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging at Duke University
Class of 2005:
Sumit Bhatla, M.D., fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology, Johns Hopkins U Hospital
Jeffrey P. Clarke, M.D., fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology, U of Alabama at Birmingham
Anthony J. Miller, M.D., fellowship in breast imaging, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Michael W. Soehnlen, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging, Allegheny General Hospital
Class of 2004:
Jeffrey A. Frazier, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging, U of Virginia
Wayne Hwang, M.D., fellowship in vasc/intervent'l radiology, Thomas Jefferson U Hospital
Bethany A. Rogers, M.D., fellowship in women's imaging, Magee-Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh
Marc A. Wallace, D.O., fellowship in neuroradiology, U of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Xue Wang, M.D., joined private practice in western Pennsylvania
Class of 2003:
Tamara J. Boore, M.D., fellowship in abdominal imaging at Allegheny General Hospital
Nathan Jordan, M.D., fellowship in neuroradiology at Johns Hopkins U Hospital
Class of 2002:
Elie Azar, M.D., fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology, Howard U, Washington, DC
David M. Klipper, D.O., fellowship in musculoskeletal imaging, U of California at San Diego
Kabalan Yammine, M.D., fellowship in vasc/intervent'l radiology at INOVA Alexandria Hospital
The resource of which we are most proud is our faculty. Many are from an academic radiology background and have discovered in our department the best mix of teaching, scholarly activity, state-of-the-art equipment, and superb clinicians with whom to work. We are dedicated to training residents to achieve their professional goals as radiologists as well as to contribute to our specialty.
The department has a fine library (in addition to the hospital medical library); texts are kept up-to-date and subscriptions to the important journals of radiology are maintained. The American College of Radiology CD-ROMs are available, as are the ACR syllabi. Furthermore, all of our faculty have private libraries of books and teaching cases available for loan to our residents. Residents become members-in-training in The Radiological Society of North America and the American Roentgen Ray Society, giving them access to the three important journals of these societies: Radiology (the "grey" journal); American Journal of Roentgenology (the "yellow" journal), and RadioGraphics.
The faculty invite three to four visiting professors each year; in addition, our residents are invited to attend the lectures of the visiting professors sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Hospital.
Many of our faculty are involved in clinical trials and scholarly activity, and there is ample opportunity for residents to participate in these efforts. In the recent past, our residents have contributed scientific abstracts and presentations at the annual meetings of The Radiological Society of North America, American Roentgen Ray Society, Society of Nuclear Medicine, Society for Pediatric Radiology, and American Society of Neuroradiology.
