A Group Picture of the 2008 Residents

Mission Statement:


The principle objective of the Columbia University Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program is to provide our trainees a thorough education in a broad range of experiences that result in clinical excellence in diagnostic radiology.  The program provides residents with an environment for the acquisition of the core competencies, such as medical knowledge and clinical judgment, development of patient care skills and professionalism, continued critical evaluation and improvement of their patient care practices, growth of interpersonal and communications skills, as well as awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care. 


Residents at Columbia-Presbyterian will learn:


To interpret and perform all types of diagnostic imaging examinations and procedures, to understand the physics and radiation safety principles underlying the various imaging techniques, to utilize principles of cost-effectiveness in selecting examinations and planning the imaging work-up of a patient, to apply principles of study design in imaging research and, optionally, to apply them to one of more projects during the residency, to prepare for board examinations, and to plan for a successful career in diagnostic radiology.


History of the Radiology Department at Columbia-Presbyterian:


The birth of radiology occurred over 100 years ago in December 1895, when Wilhelm C. Roentgen, Professor of Physics in Wuerzburg, Germany, presented a paper describing the recently discovered properties of x-rays. Within a month, Michael Pupin, Nobel Laureate Professor of Physics at Columbia University, performed the first optical intensified x-ray examination in the western hemisphere. The radiograph clearly demonstrated bullet fragments in a patient’s hand. Clinical radiography was quickly accepted, but a full Department of Radiology in the University was not established until 1934 with Dr. Ross Golden as its first chairman. At that time, the department began offering a three-year residency training program in radiology, making its trainees eligible for examination by the then new American Board of Radiology, of which Dr. Golden was a member. In the decades since, Columbia-Presbyterian has produced many outstanding diagnostic radiologists, many of whom have become chairs or division heads of academic radiology departments and have held leadership positions in radiologic societies. 

RADIOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS

A wide variety of fellowship positions are available in the Department of Radiology at Columbia University. Fellowships generally begin on July 1st of each academic year. Be advised that applications for fellowship positions need to be submitted, in some cases, up to 20 months in advance in order to be considered; please contact the individual program director for further details. All positions for fellowships are in the NRMP match.

Abdominal Radiology Nuclear Medicine
Body/CV MRI Nuclear Radiology
Chest Pediatric Imaging
Musculoskeletal Vascular and Interventional
Neuroradiology Women’s Imaging


ABDOMINAL IMAGING FELLOWSHIP

Jeff Newhouse, M.D. (jhn2@columbia.edu)
Administrator – Yee Sheung Lau (212.305.7898)
One-Year Fellowship (Two Positions Available Each Year)

The Abdominal Radiology Fellowship is a one-year multi-modality program. It includes experience and training in abdominal and pelvic CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiography, fluoroscopy and diagnostic interventional procedures. It also provides experience in some extra-abdominal areas, including body vascular and cardiac MR and vascular and small parts ultrasound. Dr. Jeffrey Newhouse is the fellowship director and is in charge of the GU training.

BODY MRI FELLOWSHIP

Martin R. Prince, M.D. Ph.D. (map2008@med.cornell.edu) (212.305.2602)

Administrator – Rochelle Morgan (212.746.6801)

One-Year Fellowship (One Position Available Each Year)

The MRI fellowship is a comprehensive program that enables the Fellow to become proficient in Body, Cardiovascular and Musculoskeletal MRI. It is a one-year program divided into 6 months of Body and Cardiovascular MR and 6 months of Musculoskeletal and Pediatric MRI. Fellows will be involved with protocoling and monitoring cases, 3-D reconstruction and interpretation. Body imaging includes all components of the chest, abdomen and pelvis as well as fetal imaging. Cardiovascular imaging includes imaging of the heart for anatomy, as well as function. A significant amount of MRA is performed including the thoracic and abdominal aorta, renal, upper and lower peripheral runoff and all vascular anomalies. Musculoskeletal imaging includes MRI of all joints and musculoskeletal neoplasms.

CHEST FELLOWSHIP

John Austin, M.D. (jha3@columbia.edu)
Administrator – Miledys Sanchez (212.305.2986)
One-Year Fellowship (One Position Available Each Year)

Our staff includes five dedicated chest radiologists. The fellowship includes CT, MR, biopsies, and plain films at a medical center that is characterized both by strong pulmonary medicine and by strong cardiothoracic surgery. Active research interests currently in the division include pulmonary emphysema, lung cancer (low-dose chest CT screening trial for lung cancer), and pulmonary emboli. Fellows will attend multidisciplinary conferences in pulmonary medicine, chest surgery, chest oncology, and pulmonary pathology.

MUSCULOSKELETAL FELLOWSHIP

Frieda Feldman, M.D., FACR (ff2@columbia.edu)
Administrator – Miledys Sanchez (212.305.2986)
One-Year Fellowship (One Position Available Each Year)

Fellows benefit from a large and diverse caseload reflecting a wide range of medical specialties. Sports Medicine and Orthopedic subspecialties include Trauma, Tumors, and Prosthetic Divisions. The section also benefits from active Metabolic, Oncology and Arthritis programs. The musculoskeletal fellow will become familiar with state of the art equipment including MRI, MRA and CT modalities and will take part in the management of diagnostic problems and interventional procedures. Participation in clinical and/or basic research is also encouraged.

NEURORADIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP

Robert DeLaPaz, M.D. (rdl2@columbia.edu)
Administrator – Tawana Leavy (212.305.9820)
Two-Year Fellowship (Two First-Year ACGME Positions Available Each Year)

The seven-member neuroradiology faculty provides broad-based training in adult neuroradiology as well as subspecialty training in pediatric, head and neck, and spine neuroradiology. The faculty is active in functional MR imaging (diffusion, perfusion, fMRI, PET) and MR spectroscopic imaging, and participates in a number of NIH-funded research grants using these advanced imaging techniques. Highly regarded Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery as well as very active programs in radiation oncology (including gamma knife), neuro-ophthalmology and neuropathology augment the training program with numerous didactic and clinical case conferences. The Neurological Institute of New York, The Children's Hospital of New York as well as the Milstein and Presbyterian Hospitals of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital provide a wide variety of cases from the tri-state region. Please visit our division's website for more details about the program.

NUCLEAR MEDICINE / NUCLEAR RADIOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS

Ronald Van Heertum, M.D. (rvh5@columbia.edu)
Administrator – Bernadette E. Tierney-O’Gorman (212.305.7132)
One-Year ACGME Nuclear Radiology Fellowship (One Position Each Year)
Two-Year ACGME Nuclear Medicine Fellowship (Two Positions Each Year)

One position is available in the Nuclear Radiology Residency that may be taken following residency training in Diagnostic Radiology. Two positions are also available in the two-year Nuclear Medicine Residency that requires prerequisite training as required by the ACGME and RRC. Both training programs offer a wide spectrum of clinical and research activities in diagnostic and therapeutic Nuclear Medicine, PET and PET/CT imaging in a "state of the art" facility.

PEDIATRIC IMAGING FELLOWSHIP

Carrie Ruzal-Shapiro, M.D. (cbr1@columbia.edu) (212.305.3320)
One-Year ACGME Fellowship (One Position Available Each Year)

The division of Pediatric Radiology offers a one-year ACGME accredited fellowship in pediatric radiology. Training at Children's Hospital of NY (CHONY), the birthplace of this exciting subspecialty, will result in a year of intellectual stimulation and exposure to high volume and a varied caseload. Pediatric radiologists are in short supply. Now is a great time to join the field. A new nearly 200-bed impatient CHONY tower was opened in November 2003.

VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL FELLOWSHIP

Jonathan Susman, M.D. (js1138@columbia.edu)
Administrator - Helen Pena-Chacon (212.305.5123)
One-Year ACGME Fellowship (Two Positions Available Each Year)

This academic division provides a broad-based fellowship with experience in the entire subspecialty. The Interventional Radiology faculty, lead by Dr. Haskal, has a strong commitment to academic research (both for its faculty and fellows). The Division has increased in staff numbers, assumed new duties (including the nearby Children's Hospital), created an interventional radiology animal research lab, hired research staff, etc. The program leads a number of national multicenter device trials and is involved in all aspects of the discipline. A busy vascular and liver transplant service supplies the entire spectrum of endovascular, TIPS, stent-graft, biliary, UFE, malignancy, GU, pediatric, dialysis, and venous interventions are common. The service maintains its own admitting service (UFE, biliary disease, vascular, cancer, etc.).

WOMEN’S IMAGING FELLOWSHIP

Elise Desperito, M.D. (ed2202@columbia.edu)

Administrator - Norma L. Criscola (212.305.0183)
One-Year Fellowship (Two Positions Available Each Year)

The fellowship in Women’s Imaging consists of 6 months each of Ultrasound and Breast Imaging. The ultrasound portion of the fellowship includes training in abdominal and pelvic imaging, small parts, vascular, hepatic and renal transplant imaging, various US-guided procedures and 3-D US. Approximately 50-60 examinations are performed per day. Additionally fellows spend time weekly in OB-GYN US and attend weekly multidisciplinary conferences with the obstetricians. The Breast Imaging Center is part of a large tertiary referral center with a substantial outpatient practice serving a mixed patient base including a high-risk population. The annual volume of procedures includes over 20,000 mammograms, 2500 ultrasounds, 300 stereotactic core biopsies, 120 ultrasound-guided core biopsies, and 500 needle-localized biopsies. The fellow plays an active role in a multidisciplinary approach to breast care. Columbia has multiple digital mammographic units and CAD and is one of the participating sites in the recently initiated NIH (NCI) national study of digital mammography in breast cancer.