Professional Pathways Available

Nuclear Medicine Pathway

Our Residency Program in conjunction with the Division of Nuclear Medicine offers interested residents the opportunity to complete a 16-month pathway to gain dual certification in Diagnostic Radiology and subspecialty certification in Nuclear Radiology. Upon the completion of their regular four-year residency training, the resident will be eligible to sit for the Nuclear Medicine boards without the need for an additional one-year nuclear medicine fellowship.

For more information on nuclear medicine, please visit the dedicated American Board of Radiology website.

The Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) pathway in conjunction with the Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology is designed for diagnostic radiology residents who demonstrate an early interest in interventional radiology fellowship.

This pathway meets the qualifications set forth by the Society of Interventional Radiology to complete an increased number of interventional procedure rotations throughout their four-year training schedule. After completion of diagnostic radiology residency with ESIR designation, candidates will then apply for the Independent IR Pathway through the match and be eligible to complete this fellowship training in one year instead of two years at participating programs.

For more information, please visit the dedicated Society of Interventional Radiology ESIR website.

Education Pathway Provides Dedicated Learning Opportunities

The Education pathway allows residents interested in medical education to actively participate in the many educational opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Residents apply at the end of their first year of residency and receive dedicated time off from clinical duties to pursue educational activities. The pathway responsibilities are flexible and include preparing and presenting lectures and educational material to the following:

• Fellows
• Medical students
• Non-radiology residents
• Radiology residents
• Technologists

Selected residents are provided resources to assist them and receive training on how to become a better educator. They are encouraged to initiate and complete at least one comprehensive longitudinal educational project during their residency.

The Education pathway goals include providing the time and resources to interested residents to become well-rounded and knowledgeable educators in their future career in academic radiology.

Individualized Training in Patient Care Quality and Safety

The Quality and Safety pathway gives interested residents the opportunity to gain expertise in the increasingly important field of patient care quality and safety. Residents apply at the end of their first year of radiology residency and receive dedicated time off clinical duties. Part of their responsibilities include:

• Attending departmental and hospital-wide quality and safety meetings
• Organizing and supervising quality improvement projects conducted by other radiology residents
• Participating in Morbidity and Mortality conferences

As resident representatives at these meetings, they will play an integral role in highlighting key issues and be enrolled as a department safety coach. As part of the pathway, residents will receive individualized training on quality and safety, such as how to conduct root cause analysis and project design/implementation. They will work closely with our department’s entire Quality and Safety team.

This pathway prepares selected residents to be leaders in the quality and safety field in their future careers.

Imaging and Medical Informatics Pathway

The Informatics pathway provides interested radiology residents a platform to gain expertise in the field of imaging and medical informatics. Residents apply at the end of their first year of radiology residency and receive dedicated time off clinical duties to participate in informatics-related projects. They will work closely with our department’s informatics team including the director of informatics and vice chairman for information technology. The selected residents receive dedicated training in imaging informatics and are encouraged to complete at least one comprehensive project during their residency.

The Informatics pathway trains leaders in imaging and medical informatics, a field closely associated with radiology.

Research Pathway Opportunities

The Research pathway gives interested residents the opportunity to participate in long-term research projects during their residency under the supervision of a mentor. Interested residents apply at the end of their first year of radiology residency under the guidance of a research mentor. They will receive dedicated time off clinical duties in a longitudinal fashion during the second and third years of residency as well as six months of dedicated research time in their fourth year. Selected residents are encouraged to apply for regional and national resident research grants. Residents receive strong support for academic research and paper presentations with funded conferences with approval and acceptance.

The Research pathway trains future research radiologists with a focus on an academic career.

The Executive Leadership Development Pathway aims to equip radiology residents with the skills, knowledge, and experiences essential to leadership roles in healthcare and beyond. By introducing residents to essential concepts in leadership and management as well as exposing them to leaders across various sectors such as business, non-profit, finance, and more, the Executive Leadership Development Pathway seeks to broaden their professional horizons and jumpstart their early careers.

Residents in the pathway will have the opportunity to participate in leadership development programs as part of the ACR Radiology Leadership Institute, attend speaker series featuring a diverse set of leaders, and engage with faculty during semi-annual “Power Lunches” (or dinner or happy hour) to discuss current trends in healthcare business as well as their own ambitions.

The pathway also offers mentorship from UH Radiology physician leaders, fostering a supportive environment for future leaders within our radiology residents.

The Innovation pathway exposes residents to projects our RadiCLE team are working on under the supervision of our Vice Chair of Innovation or a Clinical Champion involve in innovation. Interested residents apply at the end of their first year of radiology residency. Residents receive support for academic efforts with funded conferences with approval and acceptance.