Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fellowship

Rotations overview

Our clinical training provides progressive, supervised responsibility for patient care. The one-year fellowship is composed of 13 four-week rotation blocks, which include:

• Seven rotation blocks of body MRI
• Three rotation blocks of musculoskeletal imaging
• Three rotation blocks of electives

Elective rotations typically chosen include:

• Neuroloradiology
• Breast imaging
• PET/Nuclear medicine

A one-to-two-week elective mini-rotation with the MRI technologists is strongly encouraged.

If desired, additional MSK or body imaging experience may be obtained during one of the elective rotation blocks.

Rotations descriptions

Body MRI

The body MRI rotation will cover all body MRI applications, including:

• Chest
• Abdomen
• Male and female pelvis
• Cardiac
• Vascular
• Breast
• Musculoskeletal imaging

Because Baylor University Medical Center is a quaternary center with a high-volume liver transplant center, our fellows obtain extensive liver MRI experience. This includes the imaging spectrum of acute and chronic liver disease and their treatments, such as:

• Chemoembolization
• Radioembolization
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Irreversible electroporation
• Orthotopic liver transplant
• The evaluation of living liver donation candidates

The close collegial ties of radiology with the liver transplant clinic give fellows significant clinical exposure with experienced hepatopancreaticobiliary surgeons, oncologists and radiation oncologists with real-time case review affording fellows invaluable insight into clinical decision making. This experience is bolstered with biweekly liver tumor conferences.

Fellows gain exposure to MR elastography, as BUMC was the first site in the nation to employ this technique commercially. Biweekly pancreas cyst conference and evaluation of pancreatic islet cell transplant patients round out the fellows’ upper GI experience.

Fellows obtain ample exposure to luminal bowel evaluation as our MR enterography practice supports the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, and MR defecography has taken on a larger role in dynamic pelvic imaging.

Fellows become seasoned in the MR evaluation of rectal cancer staging and restaging, to include participation in biweekly rectal cancer conference.

MSK

The vast majority of the training is one-on-one individual attention with a fellowship-trained staff reading the large volume of MRI and musculoskeletal cases. MSK teaching is targeted at not only case interpretation but also optimizing MR protocol design and standardized reporting. The outpatient training experience includes arthrogram procedures.

Fellows have the opportunity to be participating members of the monthly bone and soft tissue tumor conference. In addition to sports and oncologic MSK experience, fellows receive ample training in utilizing MRI for infection diagnosis. There is an optional monthly foot and ankle conference.

STAT-dx

Access to STAT-dx is provided to all radiology residents and fellows.

Conference

We have developed a "Professionalism in Radiology" lecture series, which is designed to identify the non-clinical professional development needs of radiology fellows and create relevant educational offerings so that participants will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate the level of professionalism and leadership required for effective performance in today's practice settings.

The annual Sears Seminar in Radiology and the Baldwin Lecture Series provide fellows with exposure to luminaries in current radiology topics.

Research

The radiology faculty is committed to fostering an environment of intellectual curiosity and scholarly endeavors such as clinical research. Many opportunities exist within the institution for presenting scholarly activities, including multidisciplinary, intradepartmental or interdepartmental conferences. Case report presentations and involvement in departmental continuous quality improvement teams is also encouraged.

If a fellow's research project is accepted for presentation at a major radiology meeting, the radiology research fund will cover reasonable expenses, and time to attend will be granted after coordination with and approval by the program director.

In support of Baylor Scott & White Health clinical care efforts and research, the Baylor Health Sciences Library located on campus provides library services and online access to many electronic resources, including:

• E-databases
• Electronic journals
• E-books