Radiology Diagnostics Residency General Info
Program Characteristics
Our program is a small tight knit residency with 12 residents and no fellows, which leads to more exposure to advanced imaging even during the junior years of residency. There is excellent camaraderie among our residents and support for self education materials and conferences. Each resident receives an ipad and a subscription to StatDX and also Rad Primer.
Training Environment
Creighton University’s other residency programs include general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedics, psychiatry, family practice, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. Beyond excellence in all areas of clinical medicine, the Department of Radiology is provided with unique clinical material in orthopedic tumors, hereditary cancer syndromes, swallowing disorders, laparoscopic surgery, and cardiology/cardiothoracic surgery.
A Day in the Life of a Resident
Resident Education
What Our Residents Say About The Program
- “The small program with a close knit group of residents and faculty is what I think makes Creighton a great radiology program. There is a non malignant learning environment with residents and faculty who are down to earth, easily approachable, and all willing to work together as a team. There are ample studies to learn from, educational conferences daily, and time to spend reading about cases. With the small program and absence of fellows, there are plenty of opportunities for autonomy and to perform procedures-even as a first year resident. Overall, this program provides a positive learning environment with a solid curriculum and a lot of faculty/resident camaraderie that makes day to day work as a radiology resident fun!”
- “You can work hard in any program and learn radiology. But when you work in a place where your colleagues are your closest friends and the environment is one of collaboration and camaraderie, it no longer seems like work. That is why I came to Creighton.”
- “Creighton has a long history of producing well trained residents that have excellent board pass rates and placement for fellowships and jobs.”
- “Among all the positive things I took away from my Creighton interview, the most important was that it really felt like a good fit. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, other than to say it was “a feeling,” but after being here for two years I know that it’s the people that continue to make it feel right. We have great collegiality and a fun work environment, borne out of great residents and faculty.”
- “Friendly, family-like atmosphere that focuses on providing a comprehensive educational experience and a positive work environment.”
Scheduling and a Typical Workday
Parenting as a Radiology Resident
The Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy Hospital is home to the Radiology Department. The department has a newly renovated reading area with group size and individual reading rooms. There are 3 MRIs (two 3.0T and one 1.5T), 4 CTs, plus IR, Fluoroscopy, Mammography and Ultrasound rooms. Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT exams are performed at the Hospital and an outpatient off-site Imaging Center.
The CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy does an annual exam load of approximately 112,000. This is well divided between inpatient and outpatient examinations and evenly spread throughout the sub-specialties areas within diagnostic radiology. With a full complement of twelve residents, this makes for adequate teaching material per resident.
Additional training material is available on the worklist from our local hospital system including 5 large hospitals (Immanuel Medical Center, Lakeside Hospital, Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Blair and Midlands Hospital) and multiple smaller clinics.
Through an affiliation agreement, pediatric radiology is provided by The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.
Children’s Hospital is a regional pediatric center providing our residents with exposure to imaging of a wide variety of pathology, including all imaging modalities of the pediatric sub-specialties. The pediatric rotation is 1 month long each year, with no pediatric call. Seven pediatric specialty board-certified radiology attendings provide the teaching in the state-of-the-art-facility.
The rotation in pediatrics is at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center (see above), approximately two miles from the Bergan Hospital Campus. The radiology department is adjacent to the OR and ED to assist in Level I Trauma triage. Nearby are a new 90,000 square foot clinic and 50,000 square foot classroom and auditorium complex, where Grand Rounds and many conferences are held
Highlights:
- Health and medical and liability insurance
- Vacation: four weeks paid vacation
- One week of educational leave per year to be used for board preparatory courses or presentations at national meetings
- Book fund: $500/PGY2, 500$/ PGY3, 500$/ PGY4, 500$/ PGY5
- Educational fund: $1000 Board review course, $ 1500 for presentation at a national meeting
- Tuition for the four week elective at the American Institute of Radiologic Pathology is sponsored by the department with an additional $3000 for housing or travel
- White coats
- Cell phone discount through the University
- Residents may use the gym within the hospital or the campus fitness center for free.
