I'll try to be as objective as I can in describing the program first. Then I'll save my opinions for last.
Total program size per year: 7
Sites:
UIMC: 60-70%; academic emphasis
Mercy Medical Center: 30-40%; private practice setting
Children's Hospital (2 months during 3rd year)
Program faculty
UIMC: majority trained in Chicago
- Neuro: Northwestern or U of C fellowship trained
- Body/MSK: mostly Northwestern fellowship trained with few from UIC
- Ultrasound: the body/MSK attendings and of the some general attendings cover this section
- General: all attendings, except IR, cover; older attendings solely on this rotation mostly trained at Cook County
- IR: Northwestern or U of C fellowship trained
- Nucs: recent attending from Memorial Sloan Kettering; other is semi-retired
- Fluoro: covered by the older General attendings
- Mammo: new attending from Memorial Sloan Kettering; some body attendings cover
- Peds: part-time radiologist that only reads peds plain films, peds u/s, or perform peds fluoroscopic procedures
Mercy: majority trained at UIC with local fellowships (Rush, U of C, CCF)
Work schedule
- avg hr/week: 50 hrs; 8:00-5:00 PM, except for neuro at UIMC which starts at 7 AM, IR starts around 6:30 AM
- Call schedule: work 3-4 out 7 holidays; assigned weekend day call; the late attending leaves UIMC at 8:00 PM and the Mercy attending around midnight.
- Short call: 5:00-8:00 PM at both UIMC and Mercy
- 1st year buddy call: short call at either UIMC/Mercy once a month for 2-3 months, twice a month for 2-3 months, three times a month for 2-3 months, one weekend for 3 months
- night float system: 1-2 weeks (Friday to Thursday) at a time (UIMC or Mercy); 2nd year is the heaviest and less weeks in the 3rd/4th years.
- Mini-fellowship: TBD
Educational setting
UIMC lectures
- Every Tuesday from 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM for lectures (includes physics, resident grand rounds, administrative, etc.)
- Daily noon lectures: case-based, hot seat or formal lectures
- Best lectures: neuro, body/MSK, IR
- Chairman's conference every Wednesday afternoon: Neuro
Mercy lectures
- First Tuesday of the month from 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM for lectures
- Daily noon lectures: case-based, hot seat, or video lectures (UCSF/U of Washington)
- Best lectures: plain films, body/MSK
Required to have at least one publication (cast report or original research)/poster over the course of 4 years
- Neuro opportunities with fMRI on 9T MR
- IR - probably the best section for research
Required to have at least one quality assurance project over the course of 4 years
Rotations
UIMC – moderate workload; can be heavy at times
- Neuro: 3 reading stations (MR, ENT, CT); no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; MR with research radiologist on Tuesdays (does fMRI studies on 9T magnet); work with one of the fathers of ENT radiology; CT guided procedures; strong rotation
- Body/MSK: inpatient CT reading stations and offsite MSK reading stations; no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; protocol procedures; strong rotation
- Ultrasound: one U/S reading station; go to bedside to confirm tech findings; decent rotation
- General: all plain films (chest, MSK, peds), mostly field phone calls from services, average rotation
- IR: one fellow, AM rounds, primary operator depending on comfort level for ultrasound/CT guided or IR procedures (3 IR suites); strong rotation
- Nucs: variable workload and different types of studies which is attending dependent
- Fluoro: not a lot of supervision for GI, GU, peds, or Gyn procedures; supervision is available for MSK procedures, LPs or myelograms; average rotation
- Mams: no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; MR breast, biopsies, good rotation.
- Peds: integrated into the general rotation; average rotation; majority of peds is during the months at Children's
Mercy – moderate workload; generally less volume compared to UIMC
- Neuro: residents do not read during the day
- Body/MSK: one-on-one read out sessions; more time for teaching; excellent rotation
- Ultrasound: 70% are screening OB ultrasounds; residents are expected to go to bedside if techs have questions; good one-on-one teaching with read out sessions
- General ER/GI: not many fluoro studies (GI or HSGs) so its mostly covering ER or STAT plain films; good teaching
- IR: attendings only; may need to remove lines on the floor once in awhile
- Nucs: alternate months to read cardiac studies; a relaxed rotation
- Mams: can be a busy rotation; a good rotation if interested
- Peds: non-existent; mostly ER plain films
- Cards: 1 month during 4th year
Educational benefits
- Books fund $250 annually
- AIRP $1200
- RSNA days off: 1 day for 1st years, 2 days for 2nd years, 3 days for 3rd years, 4 days for 4th years
Exams
- Annual ACR in-training exam
- Loyola ER symposium for 1st years
- Mercy call-readiness exam for 1st years
- Board exams at the end 3rd year (current 3rd years will take it this fall) - supposedly no allotted time for prep
Employment benefits
- UIMC parking is not free ($75/month); Mercy is free
- meal allowance based on number call days (better food at Mercy)
- call rooms: nicer at Mercy
- vacation/sick days per year: 4 weeks of vacation/ 5 sick days? (not sure)
- Health insurance is not free
Residents
- varies year-to-year which schools they come from
- most live in the city and some take public transportation
- most are single, good handful are married, even fewer with kids
Fellowships for the current 3rd/4th years
- UCSD – MRI
- UC-Davis – MSK
- Stanford – Body
- UPMC – Neuro
- NYU – IR
- U of I, Peoria – IR
- Northwestern – Body (x2)
- Rush – Body
- Stanford – MSK
- Memorial Sloan Kettering – Mams (x2)
- Mayo Clinc – Mams/IR
Overall, UIC is a solid mid-tier program. And it's goal is to train clinical radiologist. We are not U of C or NU. Although research is available, its challenging to set aside time away from clinical duties. It's true that the program was once disorganized and was deemed to have a bad reputation. But those days are gone, now that we have a more solid administration. Our program director can be odd/quirky, but sincerely wants and helps the residents to thrive. There are great teaching attendings and not so good ones, but most are pleasant to work with depending on their mood that day. Night float is rough (more so at UIMC), but it has the greatest learning experience. Currently, our department is being physically gutted with renovations which will re-arrange general/ultrasound sections and reading stations.
Advantages:
- strong neuro, IR and body rotations
- one-on-one read outs (ie. neuro MRI as a first year)
- great fellowship placements
- downtown Chicago
- you can wear scrubs whenever you want and white coats are not mandatory
Disadvantages:
- UIMC culture of complacency by the ancillary staff and bickering with certain referral services which slows down workflow
- somedays you feel a dictation horse b/c its so busy (or some of the attendings barely touch the list while you were away)
- variability in the quality of lectures, especially for the general and fluoro rotation (thus, fair amount of independent reading)
- not sure if the 4th year mini-fellowship rotations will be implemented.
Total program size per year: 7
Sites:
UIMC: 60-70%; academic emphasis
Mercy Medical Center: 30-40%; private practice setting
Children's Hospital (2 months during 3rd year)
Program faculty
UIMC: majority trained in Chicago
- Neuro: Northwestern or U of C fellowship trained
- Body/MSK: mostly Northwestern fellowship trained with few from UIC
- Ultrasound: the body/MSK attendings and of the some general attendings cover this section
- General: all attendings, except IR, cover; older attendings solely on this rotation mostly trained at Cook County
- IR: Northwestern or U of C fellowship trained
- Nucs: recent attending from Memorial Sloan Kettering; other is semi-retired
- Fluoro: covered by the older General attendings
- Mammo: new attending from Memorial Sloan Kettering; some body attendings cover
- Peds: part-time radiologist that only reads peds plain films, peds u/s, or perform peds fluoroscopic procedures
Mercy: majority trained at UIC with local fellowships (Rush, U of C, CCF)
Work schedule
- avg hr/week: 50 hrs; 8:00-5:00 PM, except for neuro at UIMC which starts at 7 AM, IR starts around 6:30 AM
- Call schedule: work 3-4 out 7 holidays; assigned weekend day call; the late attending leaves UIMC at 8:00 PM and the Mercy attending around midnight.
- Short call: 5:00-8:00 PM at both UIMC and Mercy
- 1st year buddy call: short call at either UIMC/Mercy once a month for 2-3 months, twice a month for 2-3 months, three times a month for 2-3 months, one weekend for 3 months
- night float system: 1-2 weeks (Friday to Thursday) at a time (UIMC or Mercy); 2nd year is the heaviest and less weeks in the 3rd/4th years.
- Mini-fellowship: TBD
Educational setting
UIMC lectures
- Every Tuesday from 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM for lectures (includes physics, resident grand rounds, administrative, etc.)
- Daily noon lectures: case-based, hot seat or formal lectures
- Best lectures: neuro, body/MSK, IR
- Chairman's conference every Wednesday afternoon: Neuro
Mercy lectures
- First Tuesday of the month from 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM for lectures
- Daily noon lectures: case-based, hot seat, or video lectures (UCSF/U of Washington)
- Best lectures: plain films, body/MSK
Required to have at least one publication (cast report or original research)/poster over the course of 4 years
- Neuro opportunities with fMRI on 9T MR
- IR - probably the best section for research
Required to have at least one quality assurance project over the course of 4 years
Rotations
UIMC – moderate workload; can be heavy at times
- Neuro: 3 reading stations (MR, ENT, CT); no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; MR with research radiologist on Tuesdays (does fMRI studies on 9T magnet); work with one of the fathers of ENT radiology; CT guided procedures; strong rotation
- Body/MSK: inpatient CT reading stations and offsite MSK reading stations; no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; protocol procedures; strong rotation
- Ultrasound: one U/S reading station; go to bedside to confirm tech findings; decent rotation
- General: all plain films (chest, MSK, peds), mostly field phone calls from services, average rotation
- IR: one fellow, AM rounds, primary operator depending on comfort level for ultrasound/CT guided or IR procedures (3 IR suites); strong rotation
- Nucs: variable workload and different types of studies which is attending dependent
- Fluoro: not a lot of supervision for GI, GU, peds, or Gyn procedures; supervision is available for MSK procedures, LPs or myelograms; average rotation
- Mams: no fellows so read-outs are one-on-one; MR breast, biopsies, good rotation.
- Peds: integrated into the general rotation; average rotation; majority of peds is during the months at Children's
Mercy – moderate workload; generally less volume compared to UIMC
- Neuro: residents do not read during the day
- Body/MSK: one-on-one read out sessions; more time for teaching; excellent rotation
- Ultrasound: 70% are screening OB ultrasounds; residents are expected to go to bedside if techs have questions; good one-on-one teaching with read out sessions
- General ER/GI: not many fluoro studies (GI or HSGs) so its mostly covering ER or STAT plain films; good teaching
- IR: attendings only; may need to remove lines on the floor once in awhile
- Nucs: alternate months to read cardiac studies; a relaxed rotation
- Mams: can be a busy rotation; a good rotation if interested
- Peds: non-existent; mostly ER plain films
- Cards: 1 month during 4th year
Educational benefits
- Books fund $250 annually
- AIRP $1200
- RSNA days off: 1 day for 1st years, 2 days for 2nd years, 3 days for 3rd years, 4 days for 4th years
Exams
- Annual ACR in-training exam
- Loyola ER symposium for 1st years
- Mercy call-readiness exam for 1st years
- Board exams at the end 3rd year (current 3rd years will take it this fall) - supposedly no allotted time for prep
Employment benefits
- UIMC parking is not free ($75/month); Mercy is free
- meal allowance based on number call days (better food at Mercy)
- call rooms: nicer at Mercy
- vacation/sick days per year: 4 weeks of vacation/ 5 sick days? (not sure)
- Health insurance is not free
Residents
- varies year-to-year which schools they come from
- most live in the city and some take public transportation
- most are single, good handful are married, even fewer with kids
Fellowships for the current 3rd/4th years
- UCSD – MRI
- UC-Davis – MSK
- Stanford – Body
- UPMC – Neuro
- NYU – IR
- U of I, Peoria – IR
- Northwestern – Body (x2)
- Rush – Body
- Stanford – MSK
- Memorial Sloan Kettering – Mams (x2)
- Mayo Clinc – Mams/IR
Overall, UIC is a solid mid-tier program. And it's goal is to train clinical radiologist. We are not U of C or NU. Although research is available, its challenging to set aside time away from clinical duties. It's true that the program was once disorganized and was deemed to have a bad reputation. But those days are gone, now that we have a more solid administration. Our program director can be odd/quirky, but sincerely wants and helps the residents to thrive. There are great teaching attendings and not so good ones, but most are pleasant to work with depending on their mood that day. Night float is rough (more so at UIMC), but it has the greatest learning experience. Currently, our department is being physically gutted with renovations which will re-arrange general/ultrasound sections and reading stations.
Advantages:
- strong neuro, IR and body rotations
- one-on-one read outs (ie. neuro MRI as a first year)
- great fellowship placements
- downtown Chicago
- you can wear scrubs whenever you want and white coats are not mandatory
Disadvantages:
- UIMC culture of complacency by the ancillary staff and bickering with certain referral services which slows down workflow
- somedays you feel a dictation horse b/c its so busy (or some of the attendings barely touch the list while you were away)
- variability in the quality of lectures, especially for the general and fluoro rotation (thus, fair amount of independent reading)
- not sure if the 4th year mini-fellowship rotations will be implemented.
Last edited:
