General

The Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program is organized under the direction of Jim C. Anderson, M.D., the program director. Every assigned resident rotation is supervised by a board certified, fellowship trained faculty subspecialist in Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine or Interventional Radiology.

During the four-year residency, the program provides opportunity for progressive independence and responsibility, and also a continuum of case difficulty and complexity. The initial month of the residency is considered an orientation rotation. During this time, each first year resident is on a service with a more advanced resident. All first year residents are mailed a book approximately two months prior to the start of their residency to begin reading before they start their residency. The first several rotations are devoted to the basic rotations required prior to the taking of night call (see rotations below).

The second half of the first year reiterates these rotations, and also includes a pediatric radiology rotation. During this first year, case review with faculty is done prior to dictation of the study. The faculty assists in dictation as necessary to complete the work in a timely fashion.

During the second and third years, rotations in angio/interventional radiology, mammography, MRI, and ER/Bone are added. Additional rotations in general radiology, CT, and ultrasound are also provided. As the resident progresses, increased responsibility for film interpretation is allowed, but all cases are faculty reviewed. Also an increasing number of procedures are performed by the residents in their second and third year. As the resident develops skills in angio/interventional radiology, he/she is allowed to perform increasingly complex procedures. Although we have fellows in angio/interventional, the case volume allows the resident to perform a large number of procedures, including the extremely complex, such as intraarterial and intravenous stent placement, TIPS follow-up and revision cases, and complex biliary and urinary procedures. The resident goes to AFIP during the third year and also has an elective rotation.

During the fourth year, elective rotations are available for the resident to become more skilled in a specific subspecialty, or to complete a research project. The resident obtains additional rotations in general radiology and the subspecialties (see rotations below). Residents are expected to function nearly independently in these rotations, but again staff supervision is present with the staff review of all imaging studies and direct staff supervision of all invasive procedures.

Each resident is required to take the American College of Radiology In-Training examination each year and the results are discussed with the resident. This educational exercise is used as an indicator for the resident and the department and provides feedback to both regarding performance when compared nationally to their peers. Residents are evaluated after each rotation by staff and have semiannual reviews with the program director.

Residents keep a case log to document their participation in interventional procedures. These logs are reviewed by the program director to ensure adequate experience during the residency program. Advanced cardiac life support training is available and provided at no cost to the resident.

Residents are expected to take the American Board of Radiology written board examination in physics in the fall of the second year, the written diagnostic radiology board examination in the fall of the third year, and the American Board of Radiology oral board examination in June of the fourth year. Clinical rotations prior to these examinations are adjusted to provide review time.

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Diagnostic Radiology Resident Rotations

Call
The first year radiology residents take in-house call after 12 months of training. Short call (5:00pm-9:00pm) is taken after five months of training. All call schedules are assigned with faculty to provide appropriate backup. On call hours fall within ACGME guidelines. Residents are excused from their duties the day of call and the day following call. With the current call schedule, residents average approximately thirty days of call per year. Fourth year residents are excused from call their last three months to provide study time for oral boards.

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Salary and Benefits
Salary and benefits are competitive with teaching hospitals in the Pacific Northwest. Resident salaries in 2008-2009 range from $47,800 for a PGY2 to $55,100 for a PGY5 resident. Meal allowances are provided for house staff when on call. House staff receive 15 days of vacation each year. Health insurance premiums for residents are either completely or nearly completely paid for (depending on the plan chosen) by the institution. Life and disability insurance are available at group rates. Professional liability coverage is provided by the institution under the Oregon state torte law. Residents are eligible to contribute up to 15% of their salary to the OHSU tax-deferred investment program. On-campus walk-in medical care is provided through the Student Health Services.

In order to encourage research and publication, the department will reimburse for travel, lodging and meal expenses for up to two meetings per year at which the resident presents a paper or exhibit as the first author and then submits that work for publication. In addition, the department will reimburse for similar expenses for one national meeting during the four years.

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