Education and Conferences

Core Lecture Series

Overseen by the education committee and individually managed by each section education director, based on the ABR Core Exam study guide. Lectures are distributed throughout the week during morning and noon conference and repeat every 1.5 years. The conference topic is provided to the residents ahead of time on a linkable google calendar with relevant pre reading if applicable. Many of the conferences feature active learning components and interactive response software (Poll Everywhere).

Physics

Combination of physics lectures given by UVM physicists as well as weekly online modules, Telerad Physics by Dr. Sensakovic (previously Dr. Huda). Internal physics lectures are focused on Safety Labs for the 1st 6 months of residency with a weekly lecture series going from Jan of R1 to Dec of R2. Additional resources include textbook Review of Radiological Physics, Huda, and online references.

Simulation

Small group sessions including:

• Contrast Reactions
• Ultrasound Guided Liver Biopsy
• Breast Biopsy
• Thoracentesis/Paracentesis

Educational Resources

The Radiology department holds a collection of commonly used textbooks and board review resources which are loaned out to residents through the Program Administrator. As Clinical Instructors at the Robert M. Larner College of Medicine, residents have full access the University of Vermont library resources. The University of Vermont Howe Library and Dana Medical Library boast an impressive collection of holdings including electronic and hard-copy versions of most major medical textbooks and publications. A dedicated librarian at the Dana Medical Library is assigned to the Radiology department and available to assist residents and faculty. The library’s collection is constantly being updated with several new titles added to the collection in the past year. A listing of the library’s holdings relevant to Radiology can be found here: http://researchguides.uvm.edu/c.php?g=704192&p=4999281
 

Special Interest Educational Tracks

Our residency is able to offer five elective Radiology Interest Tracks to complement and enhance the residents' training: Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Education, Research, Global Health and Community Radiology.

Radiology Equipment

UVM Medical Center is a luminary and beta site for a number of medical device manufacturers: 

• Philips Medical Systems, MRI and CT 
• McKesson, PACS 
• General Electric, Ultrasound 
• Vital Images, Vitrea 3D Workstations 
• Invivo, MRI Coils 
• MRI Devices, MRI Coils 
• Hologic Digital Mammography 
• Median, Tumor tracking and evaluation software

Radiology residents at UVM Medical Center train with some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world. 

• Six MRI Units 
  • Philips 3T Research
  • Philips 3T Clinical
  • 3 Philips 1.5 Clinical
  • GE 1.5 Clinical

• Six CT Scanners
  • Philips iCT 256 slice
  • Philips iCT 128 slice
  • Philips Ingenuity 128 slice
  • 2 Philips Brilliance 64 slice
  • Philips Ingenuity 64 slice

• Nine General Electric Logiq E10 ultrasound units

• Nuclear radiology includes a newly installed digital PET/CT unit   
  • Philips 128 Slice Vereos Digital PET-CT
  • Philips Bright View SPECT-CT 
  • Philips 16 Slice Precedence SPECT-CT 
  • General Electric Discovery SPECT-CT
  • Philips dual head Forte SPECT Unit
  • Philips dual head XLI SPECT unit
  • Digirad Ergo Mobile Gamma Camera 

• Four Digital Fluoroscope Units include one remote fluoroscopy unit 

• Four Angiography Suites + dedicated interventional CT 
  • 3 Philips Single Plane Angio Room 
  • Philips Bi-Plane Angio Room 
  • Phillips Brilliance 64 

Mammography/Breast Imaging Equipment

• 6 Hologic Dimension Digital Mammography Tomosynthesis units with CAD and dedicated workstations 
• Three (3) General Electric Logiq E10 ultrasound units dedicated for breast imaging 
• Affirm Prone Streotactic Biopsy Unit 
• Breast MRI: Philips 3T and 3T dedicated research magnet 
• Seven channel breast coil, DynaCAD for breast MRI, MRI biopsy capability 

Rotations

First Year:

There is an emphasis on the basics of radiography, pathology, and diagnostic radiology, including plain film interpretation and fluoroscopy and introductory rotations in neuroradiology, ultrasound, abdominal/pelvic imaging, pediatric imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, cardiothoracic imaging, interventional radiology, and nuclear medicine. Training is focused on diagnosing urgent/emergent “can't miss” conditions to prepare residents to be able to take independent call.

Second Year:

Second year residents are given progressive responsibility including independent call, tumor board, family medicine conference, medical student teaching, and training in advanced imaging techniques. As residents master basic topics, focus of training in all of the core sub-specialties of first year as well as breast imaging shifts to subtleties of imaging techniques.

Third Year:

In addition to continued progressive responsibilities on core rotations, residents are funded to attend the American Institute of Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) course in Silver Spring, MD (4 weeks). One elective rotation is also offered to 3rd year residents. During the latter part of 3rd year, training is focused on preparing for the ABR CORE exam, including dedicated board review sessions specifically for 3rd year residents by faculty in each of the divisions. Third year residents are given a break from call responsibilities in the latter part of 3rd year to prepare for the exam.

Fourth Year:

Residents are given the opportunity to shape their 4th year to best accomplish their educational and career goals. In addition to rotations in breast imaging and nuclear medicine, senior residents can choose from a wide range of elective rotation options, including working with faculty to create customized self-deigned elective rotations tailored to specific interests. Fourth year may also choose to complete “mini-fellowships” in specific radiology divisions.

Examples of fourth year elective choices for recent graduates include:

Call/Daily Work Schedule

Call Shifts:

We are one of the few academic radiology residency programs in which residents take independent call with no in-house attending overnight. This trains our residents to become confident radiologists who are ready for independent practice once they complete residency.

On-call attending radiologists are easily available by page if a resident has any questions or issues overnight.

Call shifts are divided amongst the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years. 3rd year residents are given a break from call responsibilities in the latter part of 3rd year to prepare for the ABR CORE exam. 

Call shifts consist of:

• “Short” call: Resident comes in for noon conference and is on regular service until 5pm, then covers cross-sectional studies from 5:00-8:30pm on call.
• “Evening” call: Resident comes in at 5:00pm and covers cross-sectional studies on call with the “short” call resident until 8:30pm and then covers studies with the night float resident until 12:00am.
• Night float: Resident comes in at 8:30pm and covers studies until 8:30am.

Research and scholarship activity is encouraged during all years. Protected research time can be obtained for those interested. There is a dedicated research coordinator to assist with the research process. Residents have access to an extensive medical library through the University of Vermont Larner College Of Medicine and may choose to collaborate with researchers throughout the University of Vermont system and University of Vermont Health Network.

Daily work/conference schedule:

• Workday begins with 7:30-8:30am conference.
• From 8:30am-12:00pm residents work in assigned service.
• Noon conference is from 12:00-1:00pm every day. On Tuesdays, 12:00-2:00pm is protected time for the physics curriculum, which is either led by an in-house physicist or through a nationally run resident-specific physics course. On Wednesdays, there is a resident-run "Brant and Helms" conference from 1:00-2:00pm.
• Residents return to assigned service from 1:00-5:00pm on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays; and 2:00-5:00pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.