Breast Imaging Fellowship

The objectives of the Breast Imaging Fellowship are to:

• Educate trainees in the advanced interpretation of mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and in the accompanying image-guided biopsies
• Educate trainees in the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathology and therapy of breast cancer including screening for breast cancer and identification patterns of recurrence of malignant breast tumors
• Provide an opportunity for participation in academic research with the case material and resources of MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Familiarize trainees with federally-mandated regulations relative to mammography with peer review standards and daily quality control measures.

Trainees must have completed an ACGME approved (or equivalent) residency training program in Diagnostic Radiology. All trainees must be able to obtain an appropriate permit or license issued by the Texas Medical Board.  Foreign applicants must be board certified in their country of origin and must have received ECFMG certification and must be able to obtain an appropriate visa. Applicants must have received USMLE certification (or equivalent) and passed Steps 1, 2CK, 2CS, and 3.

Selection will be supervised by the Program Director, with the consultation of other faculty members in the department. Materials solicited for review will include a CV, medical school transcripts, residency program director’s recommendation, three letters of reference and a personal statement. Interviews will be required.

A minimum of three fellows will be appointed each year. This will depend on the applicant pool and availability of funds.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal employment opportunity employer.

The trainee will spend six months in mammography/ultrasound, two months in MRI, two months in procedures, one month in screening and one month in an elective. In mammography, responsibilities will consist predominantly of supervision and interpretation of screening and diagnostic mammography cases. All cases reviewed by the fellow will be checked by a faculty member, and then reported by the fellow. The fellow will gain responsibility over the year for the consultation service with clinicians.

The trainee will be expected to perform needle radioactive seed localization procedures, and to perform stereotactic core needle biopsies with graded levels of responsibility, including planning the procedure, consenting the patient, and communicating the results to the patient and physician. The trainee will also be expected to do several types of localization procedures including wires, radiation seeds, Magseeds and Savi scout devices.

In breast MRI, the fellow will be responsible for protocoling the individual cases and then interpreting the findings with faculty. Additional responsibilities will include planning and performing associated MRI guided biopsies.

Trainees will be expected to correlate image-guided biopsy results with the mammographic, sonographic, and MRI findings in a weekly case review conference. Trainees will also participate in three multidisciplinary breast cancer conferences each week.

During the fellow's one month elective, the trainee will rotate in one week blocks through services in Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Pathology, and Cancer Prevention.

It is the responsibility of the trainee to identify a project early in the year and to complete a potentially publishable paper by the end of the year. Presentation of the research material at a national meeting is encouraged.

The trainee is responsible for “call” on a rotating basis, but no more frequently than every third or fourth weekend. This involves coverage of all Emergency CT, US exams, CT Head and Neck. All trainees in Diagnostic Radiology will participate in the on-call pool.

Physical requirements are those related to visual perception, communication and manual dexterity.

Breast imaging faculty will provide supervision on all cases interpreted by a trainee. Procedures will initially be closely supervised; however, it is expected that less faculty involvement will be required as the year progresses.

Evaluations of the trainees will be performed twice a year through the institution’s “New Innovations” software. The Program Director will meet the fellows twice during the year by means of a standardized form with ample space and encouragement of comments. The program director will meet with the trainees informally to review their progress and to discuss their feedback on program/faculty performance. The trainees will also evaluate the program at the end of the year. They will fill out the form on-line through “New Innovations” software as well as meet informally with the program director to discuss their experiences in the program.