Radiology Department
Letter from the Chair and Program Directors
J. Edmundo, Calleros-Macias M.D.
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Program Director, Radiology Imaging Fellowship
Medical Director of Imaging Services, UMC El Paso
Arvin E. Robinson, M.D., MPH
Professor and Chairman of Radiology
Radiology Residency Program Director
Welcome to Radiology!
On behalf of the faculty, we would like to welcome you to the Department of Radiology and the Texas Tech University HSC-El Paso Residency Program in Diagnostic Radiology and the Diagnostic Imaging Fellowship. Texas Tech has a distinguished history in residency training and the beginning of the radiology training program in 2008 was a most welcomed addition. The residency training program is divided into the specialty radiology sections of Abdominal Imaging, Angiography and Interventional Radiology, Chest Radiology, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Emergency Radiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Mammography, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Neuroradiology, Nuclear Radiology, Pediatric Radiology, and Radiation Physics. The residents rotate through these sub-specialty areas and work closely with faculty members who have established expertise in these disciplines.
University Medical Center, the primary teaching hospital, is a Level I trauma center as well as a general hospital servicing El Paso county where Radiology residents are able to gain experience working with patients who have both common and complex medical problems. Radiology residents interact regularly with residents from other residency programs. The technology base of the department is “state of the art” with the latest CT, MR, and information systems technology. The department has operated in a filmless and paperless environment since 2005.
The imaging department at UMC just completed a substantial expansion in June 2012 with new facilities for emergency radiology to the west with a dual energy CT scanner, a new outpatient radiology section to the east, and a new 3.0T MRI in the center section. New radiology offices and the Radiology Founders’ library and conference room will be dedicated in July 2012. The El Paso Children’s Hospital opened in February 2012. Its imaging department adjoins the new UMC adult outpatient radiology section and is an integral part of the training program.
The training program is designed to enable residents and fellows to acquire and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and judgment necessary for competence in the practice of Radiology. This is primarily achieved by involvement in clinical case management under direct supervision and guidance of the faculty. Formal teaching supplements this educational process by providing lectures, demonstrations and conferences as well as electronic teaching aids.
Competency in radiology consists of the ability to plan appropriate and most cost effective imaging sequences, obtain these studies with utmost concern for patient care, and transfer necessary information to the referring clinician in a timely manner. Residents not only learn interpretation skills in evaluating radiological images but obtain competency in transferring this information in an efficient and effective manner. The core knowledge, with which the resident radiologist must become familiar, and which will require continuous study for the rest of one’s professional life, concerns the variety of pathologic findings that may be detected on images due to disease and the differentiation of these from normal, normal variations and technical artifacts. The resident must also learn to work closely with support personnel on patient care and administrative matters in order to assume competent and responsive consultative services and quality patient care.
The initial rotations for new residents consist of early rotations through the basic services of chest, musculoskeletal, pediatric, and abdominal radiology. Orientation also includes a series of special teaching sessions on common radiology practices and procedures. Further instruction is presented during regularly scheduled departmental conferences. Residents are to be concerned and involved with quality assurance and other non-imaging issues involving total patient management during the radiologic process and are required to participate in a monthly quality assurance conference.
Implementation of the new American Board of Radiology curriculum has allowed us to dedicate most of the fourth year of training to advanced selective experiences as a stepping stone to fellowship or practice. Beginning in 2013, one senior resident will have the opportunity to select a separate tract dedicated to academic practice development.
The 12 month Imaging Fellowship includes intensive added experience in special imaging that includes computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and diagnostic ultrasound. The fellowship also provides an opportunity for 2 months of imaging research.
This manual describes the clinical, educational, and research opportunities for residents and fellows at Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University HSC during the 2012-2013 academic year. It can be anticipated that the training experience will continue to prepare young radiologists to become most competent clinical practitioners and/or academicians with outstanding credentials. The learning experience begins on the first day of the residency and continues through every day of each rotation. Our residents need to stay focused and work hard throughout their residency so that they can be a successful addition to the practice of Radiology in the Southwestern US or wherever they choose to go.
Welcome to the Radiology Residency and Imaging Fellowship Programs for 2012-2013.