Program Overview – Integrated

The UNC Department of Radiology Interventional Radiology Division delivers the highest level of quality patient care. We provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care in a professional manner from residents, faculty, and staff alike. We serve a diverse patient population at UNC Hospitals, a renowned academic medical center, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The faculty’s three-part mission in clinical, educational, and scholarly accomplishment extends to each resident as well. Diverse best describes our program: diversity within our attendings, trainees, patient population, and breadth of procedures. Clinical care, trainee education, research opportunities, and involvement in conferences are in abundance. 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 and match the Diagnostic residency program. Dedicated time in vascular surgery, ICU, and elective time allow trainees to develop skills applicable to their future practice.

Trainees benefit from a focused interventional radiology lecture curriculum. While on diagnostic rotations, trainees attend introductory and advanced lectures within all radiological subspecialties that provide a solid basis for incorporating new information and expanding upon it over the years. During interventional radiology blocks, trainees get daily attending topic-focused lectures and participate in journal club, M&M, interesting case conference and dedicated research meetings. Beginning in the R1 year, trainees rotate through different locations to focus on skills such as clinic, inpatient consults, and procedures. Rotation locations include our outpatient hospital, our office-based lab, general IR clinic, dedicated vein clinic and the vascular access center. Throughout their R4 year, trainees will rotate through the ICU and vascular surgery as well as our various sites.

UNC Radiology lecture curriculum has been designed by each department to educate trainees on both the intricacies of each subspecialty as well as prepare for the core exam. In addition to the core lecture curriculum, lectures on non-interpretive skills, global health, and preparing for a career in DR/IR are included. A leadership lecture series hosted by our senior faculty allows trainees to learn about involvement in professional societies and non-radiology skills needed for a thriving career.

A dedicated morning VIR lecture series has been constructed to teach trainees about the numerous disease pathologies and procedures within IR. IR residents will experience these lectures while on service. In addition, interesting case topics, M&M, journal club, and review topics are presented on a monthly basis. Every Friday is reserved for a joint conference with vascular surgery.

While on diagnostic, trainees obtain lectures on call several months prior to July, when a new cohort of second-year radiology residents take lower-level call and third-year residents begin taking upper-level call. The wide variety of emergency radiology cases used by attendings during these lectures are often derived from real cases seen by residents while on their call shifts.

• PGY5/6 IR resident: Weekdays 5pm-7am
• PGY 5/6 IR resident: Weekends 5pm Fri – 7 am Mon
• PGY 2-4 DR or IR resident: Saturday buddy IR call 8am – 5 pm
• Diagnostic call in the earlier years reflects that of Diagnostic Radiology

In interventional radiology, integrated residents begin taking weekday and weekend calls in rotation starting their PGY-5 year. This rotates evenly between PGY5/PGY6/PGY7 residents. Residents are responsible for answering the VIR pager in a timely fashion, working up urgent and emergent consults, and performing procedures overnight with the call attending.

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 or review provides just the right amount of challenge and support to those residents preparing to take the exam.

There is a full curriculum that covers each of the major learning blocks of physics that are tested during the Core Exam. This is integrated into our general radiology and core review curriculum. Additionally, R3’s can choose to use the online resources of Core Physics Review by Ram Srinivasan and attend the in person source.

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.

It is a requirement of IR residents to publish one research paper during their time throughout residency. It is encouraged but not required of ESIR and independent IR residents. Residents are encouraged to present at national meetings and are excused from clinical responsibilities to attend approved educational meetings. Travel expenses for residents who present at approved conferences are reimbursed by the department. PGY5 residents are highly encouraged to attend the Society of Interventional Radiology annual meeting. PGY6 residents are highly encouraged to attend the Residents Spring Practicum through SIR. In addition to these, residents are encouraged to present at and attend the vast array of DR and IR conferences available.

UNC Health Resident Salaries, Benefits, Policies/Procedures