MR predominant body imaging
“As a graduate of Northwestern’s radiology residency program, I already had a good feel for the department’s faculty, staff, and working environment. Without exception, faculty members are excellent radiologists. Highly motivated and curious individuals, they are always looking to improve their skills, enhance the department, and mentor those who are in training. At Northwestern, there is no shortage of MR studies or interesting pathology – key factors in fellowship training. This program complements my previous medical education and has equipped me with several new skills not only in abdominal imaging but also in musculoskeletal and cardiovascular imaging. The responsibilities of being a fellow, such as running the MR service with my peers, has helped me in making a smooth transition from trainee to attending physician.”
Cecil Wood, MD Body Imaging Fellow One-Year Clinical Fellowship
Program Director
Frank Miller, MD
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Radiology
676 North St. Clair Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-695-3755
Fax: 312-695-5645
Email:
Details
The MR-Predominant Body Imaging Fellowship is at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The fellowship is for one-year with seven available positions. Body imaging fellows will rotate through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) imaging during the course of the year with the main focus of the fellowship on MR imaging. The MR experience includes cardiac and vascular, chest, abdominal, pelvic and musculoskeletal examinations. CT examinations include all non-neurological applications including abdominal, chest, coronary and musculoskeletal. Ultrasound includes abdominal and pelvic, thyroid, testes, musculoskeletal, and vascular applications.
The Radiology Department is filmless with comprehensive Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and operates using a new voice recognition system. Northwestern Memorial Hospital opened a new inpatient hospital/Ambulatory Care Center on May 1, 1999. We currently utilize 11 high field magnet systems. We have installed four 1.5T Avanto magnets with TIM (32 channel Total Imaging Matrix technology) As of December 1, 2006 our interventional-MR suite became operational. This interventional MR suite is utilized for combined X-ray interventional MR procedures 50 percent of the time but is also utilized for conventional MR cases by a split room system. This system is first in the US to utilize the new Siemens 1.5T high field ultrashort open Espree. In addition there are seven other clinical 1.5T magnets including four Siemens Symphony, and two Siemens Espree, one Philips Intera and two full time research magnets (1.5T Espree and 3T TIM Trio). A new 1.5-Tesla MAGNETOM Espree MRI scanner was installed in the Center for Advanced MRI (CAMRI), bringing a new level of comfort and speed, shorter exam time, and better quality to our MRI research facility. We currently perform over sixty to eighty body/cardiovascular/musculoskeletal MR examinations per day.
The fellow is responsible for all aspects of the examination including patient triage, protocols, monitoring of examinations, exam interpretation and dictation. The fellow has graduated responsibility and acts under the direct supervision of fifteen faculty members in the Division of Body Imaging. The faculty is fellowship trained with subspecialty fellowships including body imaging, chest, cardiac, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal radiology. Our highly trained staff including full-time certified technologists and full-time RN coverage supports the fellow.
The fellow will benefit from expertise in the variety of excellent clinical areas at Northwestern including orthopedics and sports medicine, urology, gastroenterology, vascular surgery, transplant surgery, oncology and urology. In addition, there is a high-level collaborative MR research program with Siemens. Ample opportunities for clinical research are available. Our prior fellows usually participate in at least one project leading to a presentation at national radiology meetings and publications. The cardiovascular MR program has an international reputation.
CT is a high volume modality, with the latest state of the art technology. There are eleven multidetector CT scanners (including Siemens Definition AS+ 128[ in installation], Dual Source/Dual Energy Siemens Sensation Cardiac 64, Siemens Biograph 40, and Siemens Sensation 16.) CT examinations include chest, abdomen, and pelvis studies as well CT Angiography. There is an active coronary CT angiography program. In addition, PET-CT will be included in the fellowship.
The Ultrasound service consists primarily of abdominal, musculoskeletal, and small parts sonography. The fellow will get extensive experience with routine abdominal work; transplant cases, deep abdominal Doppler sonography, pelvic ultrasound, as well as small parts sonography. There is also some pediatric work associated with the neonatal intensive care unit and an opportunity to perform ultrasound guided intervention and intraoperative ultrasound. The division currently has nine ultrasound machines including five Acuson Sequoias, and four ATL HDI 5000. There are monthly ultrasound specific conferences in addition to the imaging conferences.
The high number and complexity of exams allow the fellows to learn a large variety of material. We currently have several imaging conferences a week that are suitable for the fellowship level. These include a weekly “Body Imaging” conference during which recent interesting cases are reviewed; a weekly “Body MRI” conference led by the Body Imaging fellows; a GI/GI oncology conference and a monthly “Soft Tissue Sarcoma Imaging” conference. There are a variety of other departmental and interdepartmental conferences (including a combined angiography/vascular surgery conference during which MRAs are reviewed). The fellow is expected to be an active part of medical student and resident teaching on the rotations.
We are now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 body imaging fellowship program to begin on July 1, 2010. Our Body imaging fellowship program does not participate in the match. Please have your fellowship applications in as soon as possible as we will begin a rolling admissions policy (we will review and decide on applications as they are received until there are no openings left in the entering class).
Application Requirements
If you are interested in applying to the body imaging fellowship program, please send:
- completed common application
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- three letters of recommendation addressed to: Dr. Frank Miller
- Unofficial USMLE transcripts (Steps 1-3)
- ABR Board scores, if applicable
- Photograph (passport-size)
For More Information
If you need further information or assistance, contact:
Laura Merrick
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Radiology
676 North St. Clair Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60611
phone: 312-695-3755
fax: 312-695-5645
email:
Research Associate
The Department of Radiology at Northwestern University is offering a one- to two-year or longer research associate position in the Section of Body Imaging. Ideal candidates have completed medical school and potentially radiology.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a beautiful state-of-the-art 500-bed hospital in the North Michigan Avenue area of Chicago (near Water Tower). It is a financially strong institution with a long tradition of excellence, and is the major teaching hospital of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
The body imaging research program offers experience which includes exposure to body MR and CT and cutting-edge techniques. The Radiology Department is filmless with comprehensive Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). We currently utilize 11 high field magnet systems and installed our 1.5T Avanto with TIM (32 channel Total Imaging Matrix technology) April 2004; it was the fourth in the world and second in the USA. As of December 1, 2005 our interventional-MR suite became operational.
Areas of research include cutting-edge techniques in pancreas and liver MR and other abdominal organs including functional imaging with diffusion and potentially spectroscopy. Prior fellows have published multiple papers, presented and national meetings and obtained jobs in radiology and residencies in radiology programs.
If you are interested in applying to the body imaging research program, send a: curriculum vitae, personal statement, and three letters of recommendation addressed to:
Frank Miller, MD
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Radiology
676 North St. Clair Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Laura Merrick
phone: 312-695-3755
fax: 312-695-5645
email: