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Program Overview

Welcome to UNC Diagnostic Radiology. The UNC Department of Radiology delivers the highest quality patient care. We provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care in the most professional manner from residents, faculty and ancillary staff alike. We serve a diverse patient population at UNC Hospitals, a renowned academic medical center, 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Over 400,000 imaging studies are performed annually.

The faculty’s three-part mission in clinical, educational, and scholarly accomplishment extends to each resident as well. Resource-rich and opportunity-laden best describe our program. Clinical care, medical student and fellow resident education, and clinical and radiological sciences research opportunities abound. Indeed, all are required and/or strongly encouraged. Preparing our residents for early success in patient care delivery and required national benchmarking are top priorities for the Department. Resident attendance at formal lectures, Grand Rounds, Multidisciplinary Conferences, American Institute of Radiology Pathology (AIRP), and Core Exam prep are all required.In addition to our case base and classic didactic lecture series, we have focused curricula for Fundamentals of Radiology, Physics Review, CORE Review, and Pre-Call. Residents experience autonomous night float shifts. Our residents are first chair, not first row, for complex imaging and procedures.

We offer a four-year training experience, leading to board eligibility in Diagnostic Radiology in accordance with the training requirements of the American Board of Radiology; an internship is required prior to entry. The program has recently expanded to 9 radiology residency positions per year. Each rotation consists of a four-week concentration in one of the sub-specialty areas of radiology. There are 13 four-week blocks per academic year.

The University of North Carolina Diagnostic Radiology residency training program at UNC Hospitals is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Program leadership includes: Program Director Dr. Cody Schwartz and Associate Program Director and Dr. Jennifer Schroeder.

This curriculum begins in July after the new radiology residents have arrived. Our attendings have honed these lectures for several years. The result is a wonderful mix of introductory lectures in all radiology subspecialties that provide a solid basis incorporating all the new information residents learn in their first year of radiology.
  • Weekdays after business hours (5pm-8am the following day)
    • Swing Shift (1 upper and 1 lower level resident)
      • Upper level resident: Conference and daytime/evening clinical duties from 12pm – 8pm
      • Lower level resident: Evening coverage from 4pm – 12am
    • Night Float
      • 1 upper and 1 lower level resident
      • Provide coverage from 8pm – 8am the following day
  • Weekends and Holidays
      • 1 upper and 1 lower level resident
      • Day shifts: 8am – 8pm
The lower-level residents are responsible mainly for STAT studies generated from inpatients and the emergency department, including radiographs, CT and basic ultrasound. The upper-level residents responsibilities include STAT nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy, MRI, advanced/vascular ultrasound and interventional radiology cases.
These lectures occur in the few months leading up to the Core Exam (post third-year) and are conducted in a “hot seat” or rapid-fire case taking and question format.  This mock, fast-paced style of review provides just the right amount of challenge and support to those residents preparing to take the exam.
UNC Radiology residents have opportunities for external moonlighting, which allows residents of all levels to provide contrast coverage for UNC and third-party owned outpatient imaging centers.

There is also an Internal Moonlighting schedule that allows upper level residents on an elective basis to provide diagnostic services at main campus from 5pm-10pm, assisting the on-call residents during high volume service time.

The moonlighting schedules are resident-driven, and residents of appropriate levels are free to moonlight as long as duty hour, academic and attendance requirements are maintained.

This is a full curriculum that covers each of the major learning blocks of physics that are tested during the Core Exam. This curriculum starts and ends before the above listed core review curriculum. Our residency program protects ample time for residents to review and assimilate this often new material on their own prior to taking the exam, usually in the winter months for June core dates.
Residents are encouraged to present at national meetings and are excused for clinical responsibilities to attend approved educational meetings. Travel expenses for residents who present at approved conferences are reimbursed by the Department. Designated residents are excused to represent the Department at the annual Association of University Radiologists (AUR) and Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American College of Radiology (ACR), among many others.
Each resident is allotted 3 weeks of vacation during each academic year.

UNC Health Resident Salaries, Benefits, Policies/Procedures

The Global Health Leadership Pathway is a residency track with mentorship, targeted curriculum, and project integration for residents of the UNC Department of Radiology. Structured education on global radiology, epidemiology, health equity, access implications, and related methodologies gives our residents an edge as future leaders in an increasingly connected world.

Learn More About The Global Health Leadership Pathway

Culture of Connection

@UNCRadiology

The camaraderie among our residents and between residents and faculty makes UNC a unique program.