Diagnostic Radiology Residency

Our diagnostic radiology residency program has a long-standing testimony to our commitment to academic excellence and achievement from our current residents and our graduates. We are fully accredited by the ACGME and have received ESIR (Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology) designation. Robust training experience with a case volume being among the top in the state, including cases in rare diseases and post-transplant studies.

Graduates have completed fellowships at some of the best institutions in the country, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Johns Hopkins, Mallinckrodt, Mayo Clinic, and Stanford University.

Conferences

Conferences are held throughout the academic year, with an average of eight hours of conferences per week. The core curriculum includes physics, didactic subspecialty lectures, and interactive case conferences. The core curriculum for each section covers all aspects of diagnostic and interventional radiology, repeated twice over the resident’s four years. Daily didactic lectures and/or interactive conferences are provided. Dedicated physics lectures are provided by department physicists and offer the necessary foundation to understand the underlying imaging science for each diagnostic modality and prepare residents for the physics, regulatory, and quality questions they will encounter for their certifying exam and in practice. Our medical physics faculty also teaches a curriculum that incorporates NRC requirements so that all residents qualify for authorized user status (see the American Board of Radiology’s website for details regarding NRC authorized user status). There are many opportunities to attend lectures and visiting professor series. In addition to clinical radiology and physics lectures, dedicated lectures or course series are provided in: the radiology report, business concepts, quality, and patient safety and ethics as they pertain to the practice of radiology. A resident-run book club is held weekly to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of diagnostic radiology to freshman residents. Visiting professors are provided one to two times per month, on average, who are nationally and internationally recognized in their area of expertise. Their lectures are typically followed by three to four hours of case conferences.

Additionally, residents are encouraged to attend and participate in a variety of divisional, departmental, and interdepartmental conferences in conjunction with their clinical counterparts, including various specialty tumor boards. Senior residents have the potential to present at these conferences further preparing them for the rigors of fellowship. Journal Club is held monthly with faculty member facilitators to discuss interesting articles on a topic of the residents’ interest. Residents also have a resident-run interdisciplinary conference where they teach other clinical residents the pathophysiology relating to their patients, normal/abnormal anatomy, and what are the appropriate imaging tests.

Meetings and courses

All diagnostic radiology residents attend the 4-week radiologic pathology course at the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) in Silver Spring, MD during their PGY-4 year in which registration and up to $3,000 in expenses are paid for by the program.

Additional funds are provided during the resident’s third year to specifically be used for a radiology review course for the ABR Core Exam.

Rotations

A dedicated didactic-based curriculum to prepare PGY2 residents for night float runs for six months prior to the resident beginning night float.

Teaching opportunities

In keeping with the tradition of physicians as teachers, residents have many opportunities to teach their colleagues, medical students, and patients. The radiology residents teach Michigan State University and other visiting medical students the pertinent radiographic and CT findings (normal and abnormal) anatomy during their first year. In addition, the residents participate in resident-run interdisciplinary conferences in which they teach the clinical residents their patient’s pathological imaging findings.

During residency at Corewell Health in West Michigan, there are ample research opportunities. Our close affiliation with the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine allows us to take advantage of the many resources. Our high volume lends itself to abundant opportunities for case reports and/or case series studies. Alternately, those who are more academically orientated may join with one of our faculty, many of which have nationally published articles. Residents are provided with two weeks elective time per year during their third and fourth years. The scholarly activity support team provides resources to residents and faculty in all areas of research and scholarly activity.

Residents present their research at major national meetings including RSNA, ARRS, ASNR, and AUR. Residents are also encouraged to present their work at subspecialty meetings. Our program provides financial support for residents to attend any meeting at which the resident is the primary presenter of an oral presentation or educational exhibit.

The scholarly activity support team provides support to Corewell Health - Grand Rapids/Michigan State University residents and faculty in all areas of research and scholarly activity (e.g., quality, educational, surveys). To access more details, including templates (e.g., study protocol, poster), help request forms, and other contact information, visit the Scholarly Activity Support website.

Our program accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). This service is provided to medical students during their senior year by their medical school. We begin accepting applications on September 15 each year and our deadline for completed applications is December 1. See our eligibility requirements.

Application requirements:

• Three letters of recommendation, preferably at least one from a radiologist
• Personal statement
• Medical school transcript
• Dean’s letter
• USMLE Step 1 Score Required (even if you are an osteopathic medical student)
• USMLE Step 2 CK Score Preferred

Our program received continued accreditation on January 24, 2024, from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Our next self-study date is scheduled for June 21, 2024. For more information on our program, contact the program coordinator.

All visiting medical student applications must be submitted through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program (formerly known as VSAS). For more information on visiting medical student opportunities, please visit our Visiting Learner page.

Corewell Health in West Michigan provides a comprehensive and very competitive benefits package for our residents, staff, and their families. In addition, our program provides educational monies to support your ongoing education. Download our salary and benefits document to learn more.