Curriculum

The key elements for learning are supervised clinical practice and scholarly activities. Radiology residents have daily exposure to a high volume of imaging examinations and procedures for which their responsibility gradually increases. The curriculum takes an organ-system approach in an attempt to develop clinically oriented radiology physicians who are able to skillfully utilize the numerous imaging modalities available in the search for definitive diagnosis. In addition, the program addresses training and evaluation of residents in the new ACGME “core” competencies.

During the first year, there is an emphasis on normal anatomy, anatomic variants and emergency imaging. The goal is to train the resident to recognize the presence of an abnormality versus a normal study.

In the second year, all disorders—congenital, iatrongenic, traumatice, neoplastic, etc.—are studied. There is an emphasis on differential diagnosis. The goal is to train the resident to make specific diagnoses in addition to recognizing any abnormalities in the study.

In the third year, the resident is encouraged to consider the imaging work-up of a particular clinical situation and is expected to be increasingly involved with the clinical staff as a consultant.

In the fourth year, the senior resident is expected to function as a leader for each division rotation, incorporating all the skills obtained during the prior three years of training. Senior residents will also assist in the teaching of junior residents and medical students.

Daily Practice Activities

The radiology resident assigned to a particular rotation will gradually take responsibility for that section under the guidance and direct supervision of a faculty attending. The resident will be responsible for:

• Determining the best examination for a given clinical situation
• Selecting the protocol for an examination in order to maximize diagnostic yield
• Performing an examination when applicable
• Reviewing exam results and developing a reasonable differential diagnosis
• Dictating the examination report and communicating findings to the referring physician
• Follow-up on patient status, operative findings and pathology report
• Scholarly activities, such as conducting research, creating teaching files and reading related materials

All of these activities foster interaction with the clinical teaching staff and patients while promoting the radiologist as a consultant. On-call responsibilities are an inherent part of the resident’s daily work. Duty hours are in compliance with New York State and ACGME requirements.

ROTATION SCHEDULE (4 Week Blocks)	PGL-1	PGL-2	PGL-3	PGL-4	TOTAL
GI/GU FLUOROSCOPY	2	2	0	0	4
BODY/VASCULAR CT/MR	2	2	2.5	0	6.5
CHEST	1	1	1	1	4
BREAST IMAGING	0	1	1	1	3
MUSCULOSKELETAL	2	1	0	1	4
NEURORADIOLOGY	1	1	1	1	4
NUCLEAR MEDICINE	1	1	1	1	4
PEDIATRIC	1	1	1	1	4
ULTRASOUND	2	1	1	1	5
VASCULAR/INTERVENTIONAL	0	1	2	1	4
CARDIAC (Didactic)	0	0	0	1	1
AFIP (Didactic)	0	0	1.5	0	1.5
BOARD PREPARATION	0	0	0	3	3
VACATION	1	1	1	1	4

There are daily radiology conferences and numerous interdepartmental conferences held with the pathology, pulmonary, GU, GI and pediatric services. Surgical Morbidity and Mortality and Tumor Board meetings occur weekly. In addition, a core reading list is established for each division rotation including text and journal articles.

Residents are evaluated after every four-week rotation by the appropriate division chief. Individual meetings with the program director occur every four months, at which time the resident’s progress is discussed. A credentialing examination is given to all first-year residents immediately prior to on-call duty. The yearly American College of Radiology in-service examination is offered. Preparation for the written and oral board examinations is intense and includes numerous courses, lectures and conferences devoted to each subject area, including the physics of medical imaging.