{"id":7483,"date":"2024-10-18T09:02:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T13:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/?p=7483"},"modified":"2024-10-18T09:38:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T13:38:47","slug":"meet-dr-bahram-kiani-associate-professor-in-emergency-radiology-at-unc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/2024\/10\/meet-dr-bahram-kiani-associate-professor-in-emergency-radiology-at-unc\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Dr. Bahram “Bobby” Kiani: Associate Professor in Emergency Radiology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Bahram Kiani, MHA, MD, also known as Bobby, is an Associate Professor in Radiology at UNC and brings a unique perspective to his work in emergency radiology. Dr. Kiani graduated from Ohio State University with his Medical Doctorate and a Master in Health Administration in 2005. He completed his Diagnostic Radiology Residency (2010) and Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship (2011) from Wake Forest School of Medicine. He joined the Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty and spent the last 13 years as an attending, training the next generation of radiologists. With a career path that spans from musculoskeletal radiology to academic research on crash investigations, Dr. Kiani’s journey is marked by curiosity, a passion for teaching, and an ability to find humor in life. <\/em><\/p>\n

What attracted you to the Department of Radiology at UNC?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Practical Move with a Personal Touch<\/em><\/strong> Dr. Kiani\u2019s move to UNC was influenced by family and life circumstances. After working in the Triad area at Wake Forest University, the opportunity to be closer to family in Raleigh became a priority. “It was just a better move for me, my ex-wife, and our daughter to be in Raleigh,” Dr. Kiani explains. \u201cThere are more school resources as well as family support on my daughter\u2019s mother\u2019s side\u201d, making it a decision rooted in family well-being.<\/p>\n

What inspired you to become a radiologist? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Serendipitous Discovery of Radiology<\/em><\/strong> Dr. Kiani\u2019s path to radiology wasn\u2019t straightforward. Like many incoming medical students, he figured he would end up in primary care or a surgical specialty, unaware of the world of radiology. A research year in pathology, where he performed autopsies, studied microscopic slides, and \u201creduced [his] direct verbal interaction with humans exponentially\u201d, however, opened the door to the diagnostic side of medicine. “Pathology introduced me to this world of nonclinical medicine where you’re not directly interacting with people as much, but diagnosing and problem-solving\u201d, he shares. This experience eventually led him to radiology, where he found a passion for looking at the anatomy of human beings on the macroscopic scale rather than on the microscopic scale of pathology. He adds, \u201cKissing the Blarney Stone did not give me the gift of gab \u2014expensive lies of travel I tell you, but I digress\u2014\u2026 The false hope of the Blarney Stone luckily didn\u2019t prevent me from choosing the right specialty.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did you find your way into Emergency Radiology? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Niche in Emergency Radiology<\/em><\/strong> Though Dr. Kiani is fellowship-trained in musculoskeletal radiology, his favorite part of the job has always been emergency cases. “Working with residents, teaching them about fractures, bone infections, and all the crazy stuff that can suddenly show up in the emergency department, knowing that what we say can help with patient care immediately \u2014that is my favorite,” he says. His fascination with emergency radiology didn\u2019t stop there. He became involved in crash investigation research with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, routinely reviewing injury patterns on imaging and working alongside other physicians and biomedical engineers across multiple medical centers who analyze motor vehicle accidents and injury mechanisms. For the past five years, Dr. Kiani monthly presents the imaging findings on injury patterns from these accidents, further fueling his interest in emergency radiology.<\/p>\n

What attracted you to academic medicine rather than private practice? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Appeal of Academic Medicine<\/em><\/strong> Teaching is one of Dr. Kiani\u2019s greatest passions and is one of the key reasons he chose academic medicine over private practice. “As one who struggled with more conventional ways of learning, I\u2019ve always enjoyed teaching. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job. Until they figure you out, junior residents believe almost everything you say, because they think of you as some sort of competent authority\u2026 Why can\u2019t my daughter be like that?\u201d he says. The learning environment of an academic center, combined with the variety of cases at a level one trauma and tertiary care center like UNC keeps him engaged and constantly evolving in his field. Dr. Kiani enjoys collaboration with residents, surgeons, and emergency physicians, ensuring he stays up to date on the latest trends and challenges in medicine.<\/p>\n

What is one thing you wish your coworkers knew about you before they met you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Keep things light. <\/em><\/strong>\u201cIn private, including at home, I am dull and boring.\u201d Otherwise, in public, including at work, he tries to keep things light, <\/em>especially in an academic medical environment filled with brilliant minds and high ambition (\u201c0 for 2 on that count\u201d, he quips), knowing that there are colleagues, fellows, and residents who are struggling to balance their personal and professional lives, Dr. Kiani believes in the importance of humor. “I try to keep things light in public, try to have a sense of humor about life, even if it is a bit dry and cynical, much like squeezed lime in sparkling water, which has Vitamin C and no added sugar, but still rots your teeth\u201d he meanders, emphasizing that while the serious clinical and research contributions of academic medicine help drive the motor of progress, it\u2019s equally crucial to find those sporadic moments to laugh. \u201cThere is no reason why you can\u2019t achieve both academic excellence and clinical expertise while maintaining a sense of humor, except when you lack any original, innovative, or profound academic insight worthy of peer-reviewed publishing, then hopefully the job market is on your side,\u201d not referring to himself in any way, he insists.<\/p>\n

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Embrace the Challenge.<\/em><\/strong> Reflecting on his career, Dr. Kiani wishes he could tell his younger self many things including: manage your time better; don\u2019t sweat the small stuff; but, perhaps more practically, take on as many challenging cases as possible\u2026 “In my field, there are a lot of examinations that are difficult and time-consuming to read well, especially with the increasing volumes and universal time crunch throughout all fields of medicine. I would tell myself to aggressively pursue those.\u201d he says. Early experience helps build confidence when faced with complex cases later in one\u2019s career. His message is clear: embrace the tough cases because they ultimately make you better at what you do. \u201cBy the way\u201d, he clarifies, \u201cthat advice is for my younger self, not for me currently. Looking for the easy road now. If time travel becomes possible and this scenario is no longer hypothetical, I might amend my answer \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

If you could pick the brain of someone alive or dead, who would it be and why?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Unique Sense of Humor<\/em><\/strong> If given the chance to pick someone’s brain, Dr. Kiani would choose comedian Demetri Martin. “I’m intrigued by comedians like him who observe life with unique pattern-recognition genius that results in these snappy insightful one-liners\u201d he shares. Dr. Kiani admires how comedians see humor in everyday life, a talent he finds fascinating and unique. It\u2019s a reflection of his own appreciation for humor and the way it can change how we perceive the world.<\/p>\n

How would you describe yourself in one word? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Describing Himself:\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>When asked to describe himself in one word, Dr. Kiani doesn\u2019t hesitate: \u201c\u2018Spokes(hu)man-for-normal\u2019; I used dashes to make it one word, so it counts. A third party might choose \u2018eccentric\u2019, \u2019unusual\u2019, or \u2018off\u2019, but what do they know? They\u2019re not the spokes(hu)man-for-normal.\u201d This self-assessment aligns with his ability to think outside the box and his eclectic interests, including learning guitar as an \u201cuntalented nonmusical adult beginner\u201d to keep the dream alive of being a heavy metal guitarist (\u201cRadiology will do for now\u201d), and his distinctive approach to life.<\/p>\n

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Healing Superpower<\/em><\/strong> If Dr. Kiani could have any superpower, he would choose the ability to heal others instantly (\u201cat an affordable cost\u201d). In the same vein, for himself, he would choose Wolverine\u2019s healing ability. \u201cThat seems kind of cool and might solve the elusive \u2018self-care\u2019 side of life\u2019s equation. Maybe I wouldn\u2019t have to worry about not eating much kale, arugula, or goji berries. By the way, are goji berries still a thing? Why nobody talks about them anymore?\u201d Unable to tell if he is serious, this may or may not highlight his lighthearted outlook on life.<\/p>\n

Dr. Kiani\u2019s journey from pathology to emergency radiology, his dedication to teaching, and his fascination with both the technical and human elements of medicine make him a dynamic and engaging presence in the field of radiology at UNC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bahram Kiani, MHA, MD, also known as Bobby, is an Associate Professor in Radiology at UNC and brings a unique perspective to his work in emergency radiology. Dr. Kiani graduated from Ohio State University with his Medical Doctorate and a Master in Health Administration in 2005. He completed his Diagnostic Radiology Residency (2010) and Musculoskeletal … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83776,"featured_media":7484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[83,91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-news","category-homepage-news","odd"],"acf":[],"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/10\/Kiani-Bobby2-e1729083934881.jpg","featured_image_medium":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/10\/Kiani-Bobby2-e1729083934881-300x266.jpg","featured_image_medium_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/10\/Kiani-Bobby2-e1729083934881-768x682.jpg","featured_image_large":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/10\/Kiani-Bobby2-e1729083934881-1024x910.jpg","featured_image_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1384\/2024\/10\/Kiani-Bobby2-e1729083934881-150x150.jpg","featured_image_alt":"Bobby Kiani, a headshot, a white man with greying hair and beard and an open collared button-down shirt, smiling at the camera.","category_details":[{"name":"Department News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/department-news\/"},{"name":"Homepage News","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/category\/homepage-news\/"}],"tag_details":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}