UW Radiology

Fellowship

INTRODUCTION

The University of Washington Neuroradiology fellowship program will participate in ERAS and the Match for the 2023-2024 program year, and will recruit for nine trainees. All applicants must have completed a diagnostic radiology residency and USMLE Step 3 to be eligible for consideration. We participate in the fellowship match administered by the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), and fellowship candidates may apply for the program through ERAS.

The University of Washington Department of Radiology offers nine ACGME-accredited spots for training in a one-year neuroradiology fellowship. Our training program provides a well-balanced clinical, research and teaching curriculum. The second-year fellowship is optional and highly encouraged to those pursuing an academic career in neuroradiology. Applicants for this fellowship must be board eligible or certified in diagnostic radiology and must have applied for a medical license in the state of Washington prior to the start of this fellowship. First-year trainees may start the fellowship while the state medical license application is in process.

For foreign nationals, we will only be able to confirm appointments with a J1 visa status, unless there are special circumstances. For foreign nationals currently on an H1 visa, we may be able to extend the visa through our institution after receiving approval through GME and the International Scholars Office (ISO). If you are a foreign national, please note that we will request that you enter the country at least two weeks prior to the start of the fellowship in order to adequately process your appointment, approve your state medical license and complete all documentation in order for you to begin the fellowship program on the approved start date.
 
On occasion, the second-year fellowship position (non-ACGME) is available for external candidates (depending on how many first-year fellows wish to stay for an optional second year). The second-year fellowship in neuro-interventional radiology has been discontinued.

If the program is unfilled for an academic year, we will accept diagnostic neuroradiology fellowship applications outside the match, which may be emailed to freeberg@uw.edu, and should include:

  • Complete Application Form
  • Personal statement
  • Copy of your curriculum vitae
  • Three reference letters
    • One of these letters should be from a residency program director or chairman
  • Copy of medical school diploma
  • Copies of USMLE 1, 2 (CK) and 3 scores
    • Foreign medical graduates must provide a copy of the clinical skills test score result
    • Canadian medical graduates may submit LMCC scores in place of USMLE scores
  • Copy of ECFMG certificate (if applicable)

The neuroradiology fellowship program director is Dr. Monique Mogensen. If you have any questions regarding fellowship application, please contact the program administrator at freeberg@uw.edu.

 

Why consider a Neuroradiology fellowship at University of Washington?

  • A multi-site hospital system with a wide range of pathological cases
  • Flexible scheduling of angio time depending on interests of each fellow with opportunity for neuro-interventional exposure as a first-year diagnostic neuroradiology fellow
  • Incredible faculty collaborating in a collegial environment
  • Extensive opportunities to work with faculty with diverse research interests
  • Infrastructure to mentor fellows’ research projects
  • Seattle is a beautiful city with boating, hiking, and great summers
  • Skiing and snowboarding at Snoqualmie Ski Resort, 45 minutes outside the city
  • Extremely supportive fellowship program director and administrator

 

FACULTY

The neuroradiology section is under the direction of Dean Shibata, MD, and consists of 15 neuroradiology faculty, nine first-year neuroradiology fellows, and one second-year fellow that functions as an attending radiologist. The faculty have differing clinical and research interests in neuroimaging and, thus, complement each other. This assures a teaching faculty with a broad array of experience and expertise that serves to support a well-balanced educational program for the fellow in training.

CORE CLINICAL CURRICULUM

The neuroradiology fellowship program provides strong clinical training in the performance and interpretation of all aspects of neuroimaging including multivoxel MRS, fMRI, MR perfusion, high resolution MR neurogram, as well as CTA and CT perfusion. Fellows develop a high level of proficiency in fluoroscopic-guided lumbar punctures and myelograms, as well as CT-guided spine biopsies, and gain extensive experience in cerebral and spinal angiography.

Specialized training (under the direction of Dr. Basavaraj Ghodke) in a broad array of neuro-interventional techniques forms an integral part of the training program, including coiling of cerebral aneurysms, occlusion of AVM utilizing injectable glue, angioplasty for vasospasms, balloon occlusion of intracranial vascular abnormalities, particulate embolization of tumors, endovascular angioplasty/stenting of carotid and intracranial vessels, and thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke.

Our neuroradiology fellowship offers extensive exposure to head and neck radiology and pathology with integral collaborative work with Otolaryngology, Radiation Oncology, and Ophthalmology departments. Pediatric neuroradiology training is provided at Seattle Children’s Hospital by Dr. Jason Wright, the site director for our trainees.

The one-year fellowship consists of adult neuroradiology core rotations divided as:
40% University of Washington Medical Center reading room (includes reading cases from Fred Hutch and the UW Roosevelt Clinic)
40% Harborview Medical Center reading room
20% Neuroangiography (diagnostic and interventional) at Harborview Medical Center

Beyond these core clinical rotations there is a four-week rotation at Seattle Children’s Hospital (which includes pediatric neuroradiology), a one-week rotation in Nuclear Medicine to gain brain PET and PET/CT experience, approximately one day/week academic time with no clinical duties, and one week of elective (examples: learning MRI advanced postprocessing, observing on a surgical service, additional time at Seattle Children’s Hospital, etc).

Call is covered by the weeknight call fellow who rotates for five days (Monday – Friday) with on-site coverage from 5-11pm and at home coverage overnight, which primarily consists of giving preliminary reads on urgent MRI scans. Weekend call, on average, occurs one in every nine weekend days and consists of on-site daytime coverage of  inpatient neuroradiology studies and overnight preliminary reads on urgent MRI scans from home. Occasionally, fellows perform urgent image-guided procedures on call. The day after a 24-hour weekend or holiday call shift is scheduled as post-call with no clinical duties.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

In addition to clinical procedures, the neuroradiology fellowship program offers several intradepartmental and interdepartmental conferences. These include radiology departmental teaching conferences, neuroradiology/neuropathology correlation conferences, neuroscience grand rounds, neurology and neurosurgery clinical conferences, neuro-oncology tumor board, as well as head and neck tumor board. Neuroradiology fellows play a vital role in all of the clinical conferences. Neuroradiology fellows each give one didactic lecture to the residents per year.

Weekly neuroradiology teaching conferences are provided on Tuesdays and Fridays mornings teleconferenced between our two main hospitals (UWMC-Montlake and Harborview) by Zoom.

Additionally, the fellows are expected to participate in clinical research and quality improvement projects. First-year fellows will be provided, on average, one academic day per week, during which time they will be expected to develop and carry out a research or quality improvement project. This research often results in publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at major medical meetings. Basic science research facilities and funding are also available for fellows to pursue projects in the radiology research laboratories.

The fellowship program is registered with the American Society of Neuroradiology, and is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Successful completion of the fellowship fulfills all of the requirements necessary for obtaining a Certificate of Added Qualification in Neuroradiology and membership in the American Society of Neuroradiology.

FELLOWSHIP STIPEND AND BENEFITS

The stipend for the first year of fellowship (R6) will be $76,128 for fiscal year 2021-2022. The stipend for the second-year fellows is variable and commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Trainees are covered by the medical and dental insurance programs. Professional malpractice insurance coverage is also provided. There are four weeks of paid vacation time allotted. Additional professional leave is available for job interviews and educational conferences. Money for travel expenses may be provided for poster and/or oral presentations of research at a major medical meeting. Program trainees are provided an additional $2,600/year as an educational stipend.

ABR ALTERNATE PATHWAY

An alternate four-year pathway is available for international medical graduates. This pathway provides an opportunity to complete four years of radiology training and then become eligible to sit for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) board certification examinations. For more information about this opportunity click here.

The University of Washington provides equal opportunity and education without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex or disability according to Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title 9 of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 799A and 855 of the Public Service Act.