Education

Residency Program

Residents may enter the program after completing a flexible internship or a year or more of another clinical specialty residency. Typically, one or two positions are offered for the first year of residency. These positions offer four years of increased levels of training and responsibility in an approved program that leads to taking the examination for certification by the American Board of Radiology. 

Selection is based on application information, scholastic records, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews.

Teaching and practice occurs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) primarily. The secondary location is Children's Memorial Hospital.

Training goal:  To train physician-scientists who will develop careers in translational research and medicine.

John P. Hayes, MD, is the residency program director. For more information please visit Graduate Medical Education.

Residency Requirements

• Completing core curriculum, including radiobiology and medical radiation physics lectures
• Participate in weekly intra-departmental clinical conferences
• Participate in weekly chart rounds that present new patients
• Attend mulitdisciplinary conferences
• Attend lectures by faculty and other experts in the field

Rotations

Residents rotate electively through specialties such as nuclear medicine, neuroradiology, and dosimetry.
 

Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP)

Residents may participate in faculty mentored research projects and may
apply formally during residency to PSTP.

Medical Student Clerkships

MaryAnne H. Marymont, MD, runs the clerkship program advising medical students who are interested in the radiation oncology specialty. She also gives an introduction to radiation oncology lecture to second-year medical students. One or two students are rotating through the department at any given time, with a total of approximately 15 students per year. An exploratory rotation lasts for two weeks while those who have committed to the specialty participate in a four-week rotation. The latter are required to give a one-hour presentation at the rotation’s end.

For more information, please follow the link below:

http://www.medschool.northwestern.edu/M3/curriculum/index.html

Visiting Scholars

Our department routinely accepts visiting scholars from throughout the world for short time periods. Some of our recent guests have come from Argentina, China, Egypt, and Japan. 

The School of Radiation Therapy

The School of Radiation Therapy begins its 12-month program in August each year and trains eight students to become radiation therapists. Radiation therapists deliver ionizing radiation to targeted body parts to treat diseases, especially cancer.  The program includes 340 hours of didactic instruction and 1550 hours of clinical instruction.

Sandy Piehl, MPA, RT, program director, administers the program and teaches as well. 2008 marks the fifth year of this program and she reports that "our graduates have a 100% pass rate on the national examination." Because of the affiliation between the medical school and NMH, students learn about the latest technologies and medical residents may serve as mentors. A work rotation at Rush St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago rounds out the students' training experiences.

Please note that in June 2009, the program will be expanded into a 16-month program.

Faculty members also teach at The School of Radiography and the The School of Nuclear Medicine Technology offered at NMH.