The one-year, non-ACGME-accredited fellowship in Pediatric Neuroradiology at IU School of Medicine was developed in 2009 to share the wealth of faculty expertise in clinical pathology and pediatric neuroimaging with future pediatric neuroradiologists and thereby meet the growing demand for expertise in pediatric neuroimaging, This fellowship is one of only a handful of similar training programs in the United States and offers an abundant and diverse caseload that allows fellows to experience a wide range of pediatric neuropathology.
Program Requirements
Fellows choose a faculty mentor for one mandatory research project. This project is presented at our annual Campbell-Klatte conference in the spring and submitted for presentation or publication in a national meeting or journal. Fellows have 40 academic days to accomplish these projects.
Fellows further solidify their knowledge and future practice habits through teaching requirements. They are responsible for presenting one lecture and leading one journal club discussion per year, where they can gain further experience in educating radiology residents. Fellows also present and lead discussions at weekly case conferences.
Facilities and Equipment
Pediatric Neuroradiology fellows train at Riley Hospital for Children, a top-ranked, nationally recognized pediatric tertiary care center, under the tutelage of accomplished pediatric neuroradiologists and other fellowship-trained neuroradiology faculty, who give weekly didactic lectures and case conferences.
State of the art imaging equipment includes both 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners as well as 256 channel CT scanners. Fellows rotating here have the opportunity to learn from dedicated pediatric neuroradiologists and interact closely with clinicians in the care and imaging of pediatric CNS tumor imaging, genetic and metabolic disorders affecting the CNS, and the gamut of CNS pathology affecting the pediatric population. Advanced imaging such as cerebral perfusion, and MR spectroscopy are also routinely included in the clinical care of our patients.
Advanced Neuroimaging will be offered as a separate, elective rotation. This rotation focuses on the learning and mastery of current cutting edge technology and future potential imaging techniques for CNS imaging. Funded by the VA, fellows will investigate the potential of susceptibility weighted imaging on 3T magnets for traumatic brain injury from veterans returning from active service as well as in the general population. Furthermore, with a large patient population of pediatric and adult CNS tumors and pathology across the enterprise, fellows will learn the clinical and technical aspects of functional MRI, diffusion tractography imaging, MRI and CT perfusion imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Curriculum
Fellows work closely with expert clinicians in the care and imaging of pediatric CNS tumor imaging, genetic and metabolic disorders affecting the CNS, and the range of CNS pathology affecting the pediatric population. Clinical rotations consist of 13 four-week blocks primarily at Riley Children’s Hospital. Fellows are encouraged to have at least six blocks of electives among other rotations in neuroradiology, especially in the areas of advanced neuroimaging.
Educational development for fellows occur daily at the workstation, where they are encouraged to teach residents in order to solidify knowledge and future practice habits by adequately preparing and teaching on subjects in pediatric neuroimaging. Pediatric Neuroradiology fellows are responsible for presenting one lecture and lead one journal club discussion per year and also for leading discussion at case conferences weekly.
Call Responsibilities
Call is pooled with other fellows in the neuroradiology fellowship program and its subsections and consists of one-week blocks with at-home pager call on weeknights and daytime eight-hour shifts of cross sectional work on weekends. Fellows take no more than Q4 week call, even if the fellow complement is less than four—and even less call if the fellow complement is above four. With a large residency program and neuroradiology faculty in-house around the clock, Pediatric Neuroradiology fellows are called rarely for emergency procedures.
