Kimberly Christman
Executive Assistant to the Chair of Radiology
Fellowship Coordinator
Sanger Hall, Room 4-050
Phone: (804) 628-0403
E-mail: kachrist@vcu.edu
Residency and Fellowship Programs
Fellowship Opportunities
The Department of Radiology on VCU’s MCV Campus offers a variety CAQ and Non-CAQ fellowship positions for radiology students.
Non-CAQ Fellowships
The deadline for 2011 applications is Oct. 31, 2009. Application materials for any of the non-CAQ fellowships can be downloaded from this page, see Application Process.
Abdominal Imaging Fellowship
The Section of Abdominal Imaging in the Department of Radiology offers a one-year fellowship in abdominal imaging, accredited by the American College of Radiology at VCU Health System. The abdominal imaging fellowship includes clinical experience and thorough instruction in body CT, body MRI, GI, GU and ultrasound.
The purpose of the fellowship is to provide advanced training in all aspects of abdominal imaging. The fellowship is designed to prepare individuals with an interest in abdominal imaging for an academic career or practice with a large subspecialty private group.
Training includes experience with all facets of abdominal CT scanning, ultrasound, abdominal MRI and gastrointestinal and genitourinary radiology. Intraoperative, endosonography and color-flow vascular applications, as well as routine adult and pediatric sonography, are also taught. Interventional techniques such as biopsy and drainage using CT and ultrasound guidance are included in the fellow’s training. Significant experience with abdominal MRI, including MRCP and MRA is offered. Teaching, conference participation and involvement in ongoing research activities are required. Extensive teaching files in CT, MR, GI, GU and ultrasound are available for the fellow’s use.
MRI Fellowship
The Department of Radiology offers one or two one-year MRI fellowships. This fellowship may include rotations in abdominal MRI, noninvasive cardiovascular MRI, and neuro MRI in variable combinations. One month of the fellowship is dedicated to learning the techniques of MRI. The minimum length of any one rotation will be three months.
Musculoskeletal Radiology Fellowship
The Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology in the Department of Radiology offers a one-year fellowship in musculoskeletal imaging. The fellowship is designed to prepare individuals with an interest in musculoskeletal imaging for an academic career or practice within a subspecialized private group.
The musculoskeletal imaging fellowship includes clinical experience and instruction in MRI, CT, arthrography, spinal and extremity interventions and biopsies, and radiography. Significant exposure to musculoskeletal ultrasound is also included. The fellow is expected to fully participate in the education and training of residents and medical students rotating through the musculoskeletal radiology service. Protected research time is available to fellows who wish to pursue research leading to publication and an option for spending one to two months in another section within the Department is available.
Breast Imaging Fellowship
The Section of Breast Imaging in the Department of Radiology offers a one-year fellowship.
The breast imaging program at VCU is an exciting, thriving and progressive program. We offer screening and diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, imaging-guided breast biopsies and fine-needle aspirations of breast lesions, as well as axillary and internal mammary lymph nodes, ductography, preoperative wire localizations and second opinion consultations. We provide services at two sites: the Nelson Clinic at our main campus downtown and Stony Point at our outpatient center.
We are a clinically oriented service focused on providing our patients with accurate and efficient care delivered in a compassionate manner. We are set up to complete diagnostic work ups, including biopsies, on the same day of service. Pathology provides us results within 24 hours of any imaging-guided biopsy and our surgeons will see patients within 48 hours of a breast cancer diagnosis.
Working side by side with staff, the breast imaging fellows are an integral part of the service responsible for all aspects of patient care. The fellows are also responsible for helping cover two multidisciplinary conferences per week, as well as teaching residents and medical students.
Thoracic Radiology Fellowship
The Thoracic Imaging Fellowship program provides advanced training in all aspects of cardio-pulmonary imaging enabling the fellow to develop specialized skills necessary for a successful career in academic radiology or in a large subspecialty private practice.
Our fellows are actively involved in all aspects of clinical thoracic imaging under the supervision of the program director and the thoracic imaging faculty and are exposed to a wide spectrum of pathologic processes, diseases and disorders affecting the cardiopulmonary system and mediastinum. They receive specific mentoring in the diagnostic interpretation of thoracic CT, high-resolution chest CT, CT aortography, MR, and conventional chest radiography as well as in the performance of lung biopsies and pleural drainages.
Interested fellows may also receive instruction in the performance of radiofrequency ablation for both primary and metastatic disease to the chest through our Interventional Radiology specialty.
Three months of dedicated time in non-invasive cardiovascular imaging is allotted for those fellows desiring additional expert training and clinical experience in state-of-the-art cardiac CT and cardiac MRI.
Additional information regarding this facet of the fellowship experience can be acquired by contacting John D. Grizzard, M.D., Director, Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging.
The VCU Medical Center is a tertiary care hospital, with multiple intensive care units, including a burn ICU, cardiac ICU, cardiac surgical ICU, medical respiratory ICU, neurosurgery ICU, surgical ICU, and surgical-trauma ICU. Additionally, the VCU Medical Center is a level-one trauma center, burn center and cardiac transplant center, performing both orthotopic and artificial heart transplantation. It’s a major oncology referral center with a busy thoracic oncology and general thoracic surgical service.
Every day the Thoracic Imaging specialty receives numerous consults on a multitude of interesting cardiac, pulmonary and mediastinal diseases. We have a strong working relationship with the Division of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine and actively participate in daily radiologic-clinical rounds with these services.
Fellowship-Instructor Program
This combination program is designed to allow board-eligible residents the opportunity to gain additional supervised experience while simultaneously assuming the responsibilities of a staff radiologist. Those accepted into this program will receive a faculty appointment as an instructor in the Department of Radiology, but will receive extra training from our attending physicians with a strong emphasis on MRI. In addition, instructors will function as staff radiologists during assigned time periods and for appropriate studies. The allocation of time for additional training and practicing radiology will vary among the radiology subspecialties, but is intended to provide at least 50 percent of time for the additional training in the mandatory and elective rotations.
Over the course of one year, fellow-instructors will rotate through two mandatory three-month rotations. Each fellow will have the opportunity to freely choose assignments in any of the departmental subspecialties to complete the elective portion of the program. The elective rotations must be for a minimum of two months, except for mammography, which may be for only one month. The entire six-month elective period may be spent in a single subspecialty. Fellow-instructors will participate in the weekend call rotation during the entire year and will function as attending faculty radiologists.
Fellowship Qualifications
Applicants for any of the above fellowships should have completed an accredited residency in diagnostic radiology and be board eligible or board certified at the time of the fellowship year.
Application Process
To apply, please provide the following materials:
- Completed application [PDF]
- Curriculum vitae or résumé
- Copy of medical school transcript
- Copy of National Board scores
- Letter from the dean
- Three letters of recommendation – one from the director of your residency program and two from faculty members well acquainted with your abilities
- Personal interviews are required
Please forward these materials to:
USPS
Department of Radiology
Attn: Kim Christman
VCUHS
P.O. Box 980470
Richmond, Va. 23298-0470
Fed Ex/UPS
Kim Christman
VCU Health System
Department of Radiology
1101 East Marshall Street
Sanger Hall, Room 4-050
Richmond, Virginia 23298
Certificate
Upon completion of the program, the fellow-instructor will receive a certificate attesting to the special training in the area of your additional experience.
CAQ Fellowships
The deadline for 2010 applications is April 1, 2009. To obtain application materials for any CAQ fellowship, contact:
Ashley Greene
Residency Coordinator, Nuclear Medicine
Fellowship Coordinator, VIR
Support Services, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Abdominal Radiology
Main Hospital, Room 3-417
Phone: (804) 828-0554
Fax: (804) 628-1132
E-mail: agreene@vcu.edu
Vascular Interventional Radiology Fellowship
The Interventional Radiology specialty offers a one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology. The fellowship includes clinical experience and thorough instruction in all forms of percutaneous image-guided procedures and therapies.
The purpose of the fellowship is to provide advanced training in all aspects of interventional radiology. The fellowship is designed to prepare individuals with an interest in interventional radiology for an academic career or practice with a large subspecialty private group.
Training includes experience with all forms of image-guided procedures, including diagnostic angiography, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, vascular stents, IVC filters, thrombolysis, venous access, embolotherapy, TIPS, venous ablation, radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous genitourinary and biliary procedures, as well as abdominal and thoracic aortic stent grafts. Training will also include CTA and MRA interpretation as well as involvement with the vascular lab.
Qualifications
Applicants for any of the above fellowships should have completed an accredited residency in diagnostic radiology and be board eligible or board certified at the time of the fellowship year. To apply, please provide the following materials:
- Completed application (www.medschool.vcu.edu/gme/application/index.html)
- Curriculum vitae or résumé
- Copy of medical school transcript
- Copy of National Board scores
- Letter from the dean
- Three letters of recommendation – one from the director of your residency program and two from faculty members well acquainted with your abilities
- Visa requirements: J1 Visa or permanent residency required
- Personal interviews are required
Please forward these materials to:
Ashley Greene
Fellowship Coordinator, VIR
P.O. Box 980615
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0615
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