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Residency Information:

The UMKC School of Medicine Radiology Residency offers diverse training environments in Kansas City’s premier institutions, including Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City (a tertiary referral center), Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill (a major trauma center), Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (one of the largest Children’s Hospitals in the country) and finally, the Kansas City Veterans Adminstration Medical Center (emphasis geriatric population) All institutions and faculty are dedicated to providing progressive, supervised mentoring and teaching throughout the training program.

Our residents receive direct, hands-on learning, commensurate to their level of training and competence, in all modalities and subspecialties of radiology within a graded supervision environment.

Fellowships: Our program has fellowship positions in Pediatric Radiology and Neuroradiology fellowship. The limited presence of fellows means residents participate in an active role without competing with fellows for cases.  The presence of fellows in high volume areas allows residents the advantages of assistance with the work load, daily resident to fellow teaching and an opportunity to pursue fellowship training here in Kansas City.

-- Radiology Faculty Work with Residents on a One-To-One Basis --

Rotations

Radiology Faculty Work with Residents on a One-To-One Basis            

A faculty radiologist is always available for guidance, discussion, review and demonstration of various procedures. Residents may give preliminary interpretations, but all radiology studies and procedures are officially interpreted under the supervision of a faculty radiologist in an expeditious manner.

Residents are assigned to monthly rotations in various sub-specialty sections staffed by faculty members. Each rotation follows clearly stated goals and objectives for each level of training.

Core rotations include: nuclear medicine, pediatrics, musculoskeletal, chest, cardiac, breast imaging, neuroradiology, abdominal imaging, ultrasound (including 1 month of obstetrics), and interventional. While the actual months of each rotation may vary between individuals, residents will always receive a balanced minimum core curriculum of 36 months in the aforementioned rotations. All ACGME criteria are met in this regard. Additional elective rotations in areas of interest are encouraged throughout the entire 5 year training program.

Faculty physicians supervise residents during clinical working hours, with increasing responsibilities appointed to the residents over time, commensurate to level of training. The expected course is that resident’s progress from initial observation to eventual full competency in image interpretation, dictation and performance of image-guided procedures. All procedures are performed with faculty approval and supervision.

Each resident attends a four-week AFIP (Armed Forces Institute of Pathology) Pathology/Radiology course in Washington, D.C. The course registration fees are fully funded by the program, however, expenses related to transportation and lodging are the responsibility of the resident.

On Call Duty

Call coverage is an integral part of the educational experience as residents learn to function more independently with back-up assistance by a faculty radiologist. Residents participate in after-hours and weekend in-house call after demonstrating satisfactory competence during their first year of training, at both Truman Medical Center and Saint Luke’s Hospital. Residents cover routine studies until midnight at Saint Luke’s Hospital, with assistance from a night hawk service. Internal moonlighting is available to PGY4 and 5 residents at Children’s Mercy Hospital and weekends at the KCVA.

Teleradiology access to the homes of attending physicians is readily available in order to assist residents with difficult cases.  Senior residents take no required call during the last 6 months of training in anticipation of board preparation.

The resident call schedule is maintained on line and can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://www.umkcradres.org/

Evaluation 

Residents undergo a 360 evaluation process based on the 6 core competencies (professionalism, medical knowledge, system-based practice, practice based learning, patient care and interpersonal/communication skills).

Residents are evaluated by faculty and technologists monthly at the completion of each rotation. Peer evaluation (residents evaluate each other) is performed yearly. Residents also give a detailed confidential evaluation of the training program, and confidentially evaluate faculty members monthly. Residents’ comments are used for internal quality assurance and are provided to the individual faculty members on a semi-annual basis.

Every six months residents meet with the program director individually to discuss the summarized evaluations. The evaluation is then submitted to the graduate medical education office and the medical school dean where it becomes a permanent part of the resident’s records. Evaluations are always available for the resident’s review with the program director. Any adverse actions or recommendations emanating from these evaluations are subject to established institutional grievance processes.

Residents are required to take a yearly in-service diagnostic radiology examination from the American College of Radiology. This exam provides an opportunity to compare individual sub-specialty subject knowledge by level of training of UMKC residents with residents in other programs. The cost of the exam is incurred by UMKC

Educational Resources

The residency program owns copies of the American College of Radiology files on CD ROM, at all three institutions. These files are computer based. Extensive access to core text books and other educational CDs and DVDs are available through the radiology libraries at each institution. These libraries are updated annually.

The largest dedicated radiology library is located at Saint Luke’s Hospital. Residents also have full access and use of library resources at the UMKC School of Medicine. Computer based access to many current medical journals is available at both the UMKC-SOM library and the Saint Luke’s Hospital medical library

Research

Scholarly activity is required. Residents must complete at least one project during training. A 15 hour course, Introduction to Research, is provided for all PGY2 residents to help meet this requirement. Residents who present their research projects at national meetings are given additional time off and are supported financially by the UMKC and Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation.

Accreditation

The UMKC School of Medicine Radiology Residency is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. The program fulfills requirements to prepare residents for specialty certification by the American Board of Radiology and complies with various guidelines recommended by the American College of Radiology.