Abdominal Imaging

The Department of Radiology at the University of North Carolina Hospitals offers a one-year Abdominal Imaging Fellowship. The Abdominal Imaging Division is composed of five subdivisions: Body CT, Body MRI, GI, GU, and Ultrasound. The Division has 6.5 full-time equivalent faculty and three fellowship positions. The Department of Radiology (except for MR and Vascular Interventional) is located in a beautiful facility at UNC's Women’s and Children's Hospital that houses state-of-the-art imaging equipment. Currently, we have two 16 slice, one 40 slice, and two 64 slice spiral CT units and 2 combination PET/CT scanners. We have five clinical MR systems: There are 3, 1.5 T Avanto magnets equipped with cardiac software, a 1.5T Sonata and a 3.0T Trio system. We performed over 5200 body MRI cases during 2008 (excluding musculoskeletal cases).We have a robust spectroscopic MR program with a full-time Ph.D. director and have opened a 3T MR unit in our research facility with a 7.0 T unit scheduled to open in 2010.  In the GI and GU area, we have four fluoroscopic rooms with digital capability. In the ultrasound subsection, there are 6 Acuson Sequoia ultrasound systems with state-of-the-art software, including pulse inversion harmonics and 3D. Two ultrasound machines located offsite in the ambulatory care center are used primarily for  gynecologic cases. The ultrasound systems are connected to a computerized image management system for photography, review and storage. We perform approximately 150 image-guided soft tissue biopsies each year. The entire Department is fully PACS-integrated, and softcopy reading is the standard.

In 2009, the UNC Cancer Hospital opened its doors. The new Definity CT scanner located on the first floor offers many opportunities for research including temporal evaluation of contrast enhancement of tumors. In addition, PET-CT and a cyberknife are available. All clinical images from this site are sent to PACS stations in the main department.  

We offer fellowship opportunities employing a flexible program incorporating the areas of Body CT, Body MRI, GI, GU, and Ultrasound. It is possible to elect a balanced program involving all five areas or to tailor the program to best meet the needs of the individual fellow. Specifically, a fellow may elect to do up to 6 months in any one discipline. Combination fellowships with mammography and chest imaging are available. Each fellow has one month of elective time to be used as he/she wishes for study in any division of the Department.  Involvement in research projects is encouraged. Currently, faculty members are involved in research in ultrasound contrast agents, cardiac MR imaging, liver MR, screening for pancreatic cancer and MR spectroscopy for prostate cancer. To be eligible for appointment, a fellowship candidate must have completed an accredited residency in Diagnostic Radiology, must be board-eligible or board-certified at the time of the fellowship year, and be eligible for a full NC medical license. Foreign-born physicians who are not US citizens must be U.S. board eligible or board certified and have an H1 visa or a green card.

If you are interested in applying for our fellowship program, please contact Dr. Julia Fielding at the address below. Send your application at the appropriate time, usually September or October, along with copies of your undergraduate and medical school diplomas, a copy of your USMLE board scores and three letters of reference (one letter from your residency program director and one from your chairman) to:

Julia R. Fielding, MD
c/o Ms. Virginia Carver
Campus Box 7510
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Tel: 919-966-4292