Residency Program

General Description

The Department of Radiology of the University of Florida College of Medicine has offered an accredited training program in diagnostic radiology since 1958. The Department of Radiology at the VA Hospital in Gainesville has been fully integrated into this training program since 1968. All teaching experience occurs at two main sites, the Shands Teaching Hospital and the Gainesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Shands at the University of Florida is a 576-bed private, not-for-profit hospital that serves as a referal center for Florida and south Georgia. This hospital functions as the primary teaching center for The University of Florida College of Medicine. Residents also receive training at the Gainesville VA Medical Center, a 323-bed modern facility and adjacent 120-bed nursing home, which serves as a regional center for the VA Hospital System. The Gainesville VA Hospital is a "Dean's VA Hospital." All radiology faculty are recruited by the Chairman of the Radiology Department and approved by the Dean of the College of Medicine as well as the VA Administration and faculty. Each hospital has different patient populations, creating a well-rounded environment for training in all aspects of radiology. Both hospitals are located on the University of Florida campus and are connected by an underground tunnel.

Both radiology departments have modern equipment in all modalities. Shands Hospital has four MRI scanners (Siemens Sonata 1.5T, Siemens Vision 1.5T, Siemens Symphony 1.5T, and GE Signa 1.5 T systems), and three CT scanners (Toshiba Aquilon 64 slice with cardiac packages and two Siemens Sensation 16 slice scanners). The PET scanner is located at the outpatient clinic facility, one block from Shands at UF. The VA Hospital has two Picker scanners (the new PQ 2000 and the 1200), and anMRI facility which has a Siemens 1.5T MRI scanner and a GE 3.0T scanner. The Brain institute has a Siemens Allegra 3T magnet used for research patients.. Approximately 220,000 examinations are performed yearly at Shands Hospital and 90,000 at the VA.

There are 45 full-time clinical faculty members in Diagnostic Radiology. The basic science/physics division of the Department has ten members and graduate students in engineering, physics and computer science. The Department provides clinical fellowship training in the following subspecialties: Abdominal Imaging, Angio/Interventional, Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, ENT Radiology (Neuroradiology), and Nuclear Medicine. The total number of fellows varies, but ranges from 10 - 13. All clinical fellows function primarily as junior faculty and must be licensed in the State of Florida.

Program Format

The University of Florida Residency Program in Diagnostic Radiology offers quality graduate medical education in a variety of diagnostic imaging techniques, including all aspects of diagnostic radiology, nuclear radiology, diagnostic ultrasound and MRI. The program also includes didactic training in radiologic physics. The desire of this program is that all residents finishing this program will be able to pass their written and oral board examinations and will be proficient and highly qualified in the practice of radiology in the private sector or in the academic environment.

The residency program is designed to expose residents to a variety of clinical situations and the appropriate use and interpretation of diagnostic imaging. Residents rotate through organ based specialty rotations at Shands Teaching Hospital. These rotations include Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine, Abdominal Imaging (encompassing GI and GU Radiology, Body CT, Body MR and US), Musculoskeletal Radiology, Pediatric Radiology, Mammography, Angiography and Interventional Radiology, and Pulmonary Radiology. Rotations at the Gainesville VA Medical focus on general radiography and fluoroscopy, as well as more complicated specialties, such as MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, Neuroradiology or Angio/Interventional Radiology. Dr. Cheryl DeBose is the Residency Program Coordinator at the VA.

General Rotations (each block covers 4 weeks):

Of the 32 residents in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, seven are at the VA at any one time. Three are on general radiology, one on CT-U/S, one on Angio/Interventional, one on Neuroradiology, one on MRI, and one on Nuclear Medicine. The general radiology rotation affords the resident a work environment most closely approximating that in private practice. The resident reads all categories of routine films, performs GI/GU exams, and other miscellaneous fluoroscopic exams. The degree of responsibility is greater than that at Shands Hospital. The faculty are stationed full-time at the VA and always in the Department for consultation and supervision. The CT-U/S, Nuclear Medicine, Neuroradiology, and MRI rotations consist of one resident and one attending with no fellows. The resident receives one-on-one teaching and performs all procedures of which he or she is capable.

It is important that adequate progression of the resident's ability occur over the course of the residency. In general, the resident progresses from less complicated radiology imaging examinations, to more complicated imaging examinations over the course of the residency. For instance, most first year residents concentrate on plain film radiography and fluoroscopic procedures. The second year residents are closely supervised in the development of neuroradiology and angiographic / interventional radiology skills. Progressive responsibility is gained throughout the residency for the performance and interpretation of more complex examinations such as Nuclear Medicine, MRI, CT and US. Resident responsibility increases gradually over the four years based on the level of training as well as the demonstrated proficiency in both interpretative and procedural abilities. This is determined by the faculty to whom the residents are assigned during a given rotation.

During the fourth year, residents may construct additional longer rotations in Neuroradiology, Abdominal Imaging, Musculoskeletal, MRI, Angio/Interventional, or Nuclear Medicine, or a combination of these best suited to his/her needs. In addition, two months of elective time for research or subspecialty rotations are generally available in the third year. Residents may use this time to attend the AFIP correlative course in radiologic pathology; the course is paid by the Department.

Conferences

Multiple conferences are used as teaching sessions for the residents.

Additional educational resources include the departmental library, computer lab, home computers with high speed connections and educational programs permanently installed on the Department intranet.

Evaluation

Residents are evaluated by each faculty on a given specialty rotation thirteen times a year (every four weeks). The written evaluation is reviewed by the Residency Program Director and the Chairman. At least once, and usually twice, a year the residents' progress is reviewed by the radiology faculty as a whole. Problems are identified and solutions are discussed. Mock oral board examinations are given by the faculty in years one, two, and three to monitor the progress of the residents, point out areas needing concentration, and prepare them for their oral board examination. Ultimate implementations of disciplinary or remedial action is at the discretion of the Residency Program Director following discussion with the Chairman.

In-Service Examination: In February of each year, all residents take a nationally standardized "In-Service" Examination. The examination takes four hours and covers all areas of radiology. Studying for the examination itself is not encouraged. Its purpose is to help the resident determine areas in which more study is needed. Additionally, it helps the department ascertain areas of weakness.

RAPHEX: This examination simulates the physics section of the written board examination. It is paid for by the Department and is administered every year to first year residents in the spring. Its intent is to help resident prepare for the Boards.

Certification Examinations: To be a "Board Certified Radiologist" one must pass both written and oral boards, which are administered by the American Board of Radiology. The physics portion of the written examination is taken during your second or third year of residency, and the general portion of the written and oral examination is taken during the third or fourth year of residency.

Call Schedule

Emergency diagnostic studies are covered in-house by the resident on the Emergency Department rotation from Sunday through Friday nights. The second, third, or fourth year resident on the ED rotation has the days and Saturday nights off. The weekends are covered in twelve hour shifts from a pool of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year residents. A second resident takes angio call from home. First year residents rotate weekend coverage of plain-film scopes beginning in November with appropriate staff coverage. In the second year residents advance into the angiography call schedule during their angiography and neuroradiology rotations, then progress into the ED call pool.

Fringe Benefits

Application Procedure

All applications are processed through ERAS, the Electronic Residency Application Service of the American Medical Association. Those interested in applying should contact their medical school's dean's office, or the ECFMG if a graduate of a foreign medical school. Applications must also apply for a PGY-1 clinical year program, as this program begins in the PGY-2 year. Please visit the University of Florida Department of Medicine or Department of Surgery if you are interested in a preliminary position at UF.

The interview selection process will be initiated after receipt of the completed data to ERAS. The selection committee spends days in careful review of all applicants' folders. Approximately 90 candidates will be invited for a personal interview. We accept eight new residents a year. The Department participates in the NRMP Matching Program for all R-1applicants.

Medical students interested in a visiting rotation should visit the College of Medicine for information on elective rotations.

Gainesville housing information can be obtained from the UF Housestaff Coordinator, Sharron Wallace, at wallasa@shands.ufl.edu.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Radiology Residency Coordinator, Sabrina DuBois, at duboisb@radiology.ufl.edu.

Written correspondence should be addressed to:

Jonathan L. Williams, M.D., M.B.A.
Director, Residency Program
Department of Radiology
P.O. Box 100374
Gainesville, FL 32610-0374
Telephone: (352) 265-0291
FAX: (352) 265-0279
Email: willjl@radiology.ufl.edu

Deadline for completion of applications is November 1.