The Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship at IU School of Medicine includes a comprehensive curriculum with respect to thoracic and cardiac imaging for both pediatric and adult patients. This is a one-year, non-ACGME-accredited fellowship in Cardiothoracic Imaging.
Program Requirements
Fellowship training includes clinical experience as well as academic work. Each fellow is expected to develop and complete a research project during the course of the year suitable for presentation at the annual Campbell-Klatte symposium and publishable in a peer-reviewed journal. The research may be clinical or research-based.
Facilities and Equipment
Cardiac exams are usually performed at either IU Health Methodist Hospital; or IU Health University Hospital. The primary scanner used for cardiac MRI is a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Aera. Coronary CTA is usually performed at Methodist Hospital on a Philips iCT 256-slice scanner. Chest CT and chest radiographs are performed at multiple institutions throughout central Indiana. Interpretation of these exams is primarily done from University Hospital.
Curriculum
Clinical training includes plain film, cross-sectional (CT and MRI) interpretation as well as invasive procedures of the thorax. A focus is placed on cross-sectional imaging of the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Approximately equal time is spent performing and interpreting pulmonary and cardiac imaging studies. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on experience performing and interpreting cardiac exams.
The cardiothoracic team performs interventions, including insertion and management of chest tubes for pneumothorax complications as well as other thoracic interventional procedures, including thoracenteses and abscess drainages.
Call Responsibilities
Cardiothoracic imaging fellows are required to complete evening and weekend call responsibilities, totaling between 130 and 170 hours of call for the academic year. Fellows are most often asked to be a part of the general call pool, which requires final interpretation of general plain films, body CT scans, and some ultrasound and MSK exams. Interpretation of neuroradiology is not required on call.
