Diagnostic Radiology Los Angeles Medical Center - Curriculum

Goals & Objectives

The first year of training is devoted primarily to clinical medicine. During this time, every effort is made to tailor the resident’s experience so that skills useful to a career in diagnostic radiology are emphasized. Three months are spent in the Diagnostic Radiology Department. This includes a one-month introductory course in Neuroradiology.

The second year of training is spent learning the basic procedures of diagnostic imaging and the fundamentals of film interpretation. Computed tomography, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, emergency and interventional radiology are introduced during this year. All work is closely supervised by the Diagnostic Radiology faculty.

The final three years of rotations include general radiology, neuroradiology, magnetic resonance imaging, pediatric radiology, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, computed tomography, and vascular and interventional radiology. The resident is given increased responsibility and develops more advanced skills in vascular and interventional radiology, including angiography, CT guided biopsy, and percutaneous drainage procedures. He or she acquires the basic knowledge of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and interpretation.

Upon graduation from the program, residents have gone on to complete fellowships in Radiology subspecialties. Recent graduates have been accepted into fellowships at UCLA, USC, UCSF, Emory, and Washington University.

Clinical Experiences & Rotations

Residents participate in daily educational conferences and are relieved of clinical responsibilities to attend scheduled conferences and lectures in the department. There is a combination of didactic talks and interactive case presentations. Interdepartmental conferences are held regularly with Neurosurgery, Neurology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hepatology, Oncology, Surgery, and Pediatrics.

The Radiology Journal Club meets monthly, at which academic articles in Radiology are presented and discussed by the faculty and residents. Local meetings, particularly the Los Angeles Radiologic Society meetings, may be attended with the approval of the director of residency training. Residents are actively encouraged to become junior members of the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Radiological Society of North America, and the Los Angeles Radiological Society.

Residents attend the four-week Radiology Pathology course at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. This course is funded by Kaiser Permanente.