Curriculum

Diagnostic Radiology Curriculum

THE PROGRAM

(NRMP # 1903420C0)

The philosophy of the program allows residents to assume significant clinical responsibility while remaining under supervision of the radiology faculty. The complete program (NRMP 1903420C0) includes a clinical preliminary year through the Baptist Health Internal Medicine Program, followed by four years of diagnostic radiology.

PRELIMINARY YEAR

The preliminary year is designed to provide broad clinical experience relevant to radiology. The last month of this year is spent in a diagnostic radiology rotation. Residents are automatically matched into the Internal Medicine preliminary year through the NRMP when they match into the Diagnostic Radiology program..

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

Currently, the program is training a total of 16 residents (4 per year). The program grants a preliminary year through the Baptist Health Internal Medicine program to all applicants that match into the Baptist Health Diagnostic Radiology program.

Over the four-year program, 43 months of clinical diagnostic radiology rotations are provided at Baptist Health teaching hospitals, equally divided between the Grandview Medical Center campus and the Baptist Health Princeton Hospital campus. These rotations provide training in mammography, vascular and interventional radiology, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, diagnostic ultrasound, vascular ultrasound, gastrointestinal radiology, genitourinary radiology, chest radiology and skeletal radiology. Residents spend three months rotating at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama training in pediatric radiology, and one more month is spent at the University of Alabama at Birmingham training in cardiac radiology. All residents also attend the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) Radiologic Pathology Correlation Course. Didactic courses in radiologic physics are provided. Residents are required to take the American College of Radiology In-Training Examination and APDR/ACR Exams each year.

SPECIFIC ROTATIONS

Assignments during the first year of radiology training include introductory rotations in chest radiology, gastrointestinal and genitourinary radiology, musculoskeletal radiology, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and pediatric radiology. Residents also gain early exposure to interventional radiology and outpatient radiology.

The second year builds on this foundation with additional experience in interventional radiology, neuroradiology, chest radiology, and musculoskeletal radiology, as well as rotations in breast imaging, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and pediatric radiology. During this year, residents continue to broaden their skills in gastrointestinal and genitourinary radiology while assuming greater responsibility in patient care and image interpretation.

In the third year, residents complete additional training in breast imaging, interventional radiology, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology, chest radiology, and nuclear medicine. They also spend time in pediatric radiology and outpatient radiology, with the opportunity to attend the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) course. This year further develops expertise across core subspecialties while preparing residents for independent practice.

The fourth year allows residents to consolidate their training and tailor their schedules to individual career goals. Rotations include advanced training in breast imaging, interventional radiology, cardiac radiology, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and outpatient radiology, as well as elective time for subspecialty focus. The fourth year may be customized to allow for concentrated study in a specific area of interest.

CONFERENCES AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Throughout the four-year program, daily conferences are held or supervised by the program faculty at each hospital. Other conferences include monthly resident conferences, inter-departmental resident conferences, pathology-radiology conferences and guest lecturers. Frequent informal clinical, radiological and pathological case reviews are conducted on cases of special interest. The residents are also invited to attend the various medical and surgical conferences and grand rounds.

Brookwood Baptist Health educational materials are available including a subscription to StatDx/RadPrimer.

RADIOLOGY FACULTY AND HOSPITAL FACILITIES

Sixteen diagnostic radiologists are involved with resident education in our program in addition to the faculty at the University of Alabama Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Faculty subspecialization includes fellowship training in interventional radiology, neuroradiology, abdominal imaging, musculoskeletal radiology and nuclear medicine. In addition, three radiation oncologists and a radiation physicist are available for consultation.

State-of-the-art imaging equipment, including six MR scanners and nine CT scanners, is present within our system. State of the art nuclear medicine equipment is available including PET-CT at both hospitals. More than 100,000 diagnostic radiological studies are done each year at each hospital, including several hundred interventional procedures at each hospital.

Radiology residents participate daily in radiological examinations and interpretation, and each resident will perform numerous vascular and image-guided interventional procedures during their training. During the nuclear medicine rotations, residents become familiar with PET and SPECT scintillation cameras, total body scanners, dosage calculation and administration, patient positioning, instrumentation and interpretation.

RESIDENTS

Over the years, many residents completing our program have completed fellowship training at numerous institutions across the country. Residents have entered practice in both academic and private settings and are practicing not only in the southeast but across the country.