Mission

NMCP's Radiology Department is committed to providing high quality service, radiological diagnosis and therapy, and training in direct support of our active duty military forces, civilian trauma patients, and all other beneficiaries. We are entrusted with the care of past and present military members and tasked to support global health engagement while maximizing operational readiness. The Military Health System (MHS) contributes to the integration of military readiness and health. The NMCP Radiology program supports this mission through excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Our faculty is dedicated to training and educating the future leaders in radiology to provide the most comprehensive and innovative approaches to caring for our patients.

Vision

We strive to provide the highest quality radiological services as an integral part of the health care team while pursuing continuous improvement and innovation. We are a premier force generation platform to develop the future of military radiology.

Aims

1. Provide residents with the requisite knowledge and experiences to confidently progress to independent practice.
2. Always serve the best interests of our patients.
3. Provide for the faculty professional development needs of our department.
4. Continuously evaluate and improve the processes that define our mission.
5. Integrate knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve the best outcomes.

The didactic curriculum at NMCP is robust. Faculty and resident-led instruction is designed to cover the full breadth of required topics delineated by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and ACGME. We leverage a wide variety of instructional methods and resources to accomplish this.

Daily

Noon Lecture (covering both Imaging and Non-Imaging Curriculum)

Weekly

• Physics Lecture (Wednesday a.m.)
• Resident Led Board Preparation (Tuesday p.m.)
• Interesting Case Conference (Friday p.m.)
• Tumor Boards and other multidisciplinary conferences (various)

Monthly

• Journal Club
• Joint Radiology & ENT Conference
• Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) Conference
• Command Grand Rounds (as applicable)

The academic calendar year is organized into 13, four-week block rotations per year.

Goals and objectives are established for each rotation.

Performance evaluation is provided at the completion of the rotation based on ACGME core competencies.

Mammography and Nuclear Medicine have specific training requirements which must be completed prior to graduation. Furthermore, the ACGME required minimum case volumes are monitored throughout training.

The following is an example of the block rotations throughout each academic calendar year. This may be subject to change based on our Program Evaluation Committee, Program Director discretion, and governing requirements

*Senior residents may elect to perform alternate rotation(s) during the designated months based on their education goals and/or requirements at their next duty station. 

Opportunities for elective rotations can be completed during the second and fourth years. Any resident proposal will be considered for approval by the Program Director.

• We ensure compliance with all ACGME duty hour requirements as we develop the call schedule each year.
• Effective transitions of care (between the day shift and the evening shift) are essential for patient safety.
• Faculty primarily employ a combination of “direct” and “indirect” supervision with on-call residents to allow development of progressive autonomy in preparation for independent practice.

Diagnostic Radiology Call

• First-year residents do not take “solo” (independent) call. Starting in the Fall of the first year, residents will be assigned “buddy call” paired with a senior resident and staff. “Buddy call” is on weeknights from 4 - 10 p.m. in addition to the normal workday on their assigned block rotation.
• Senior residents are assigned call during their Night Float block rotation beginning each Sunday evening and running through Saturday morning. Two senior residents are assigned to Night Float at a time. Over the 4-week rotation, residents will have two weeks on “swing shift” (12 - 11 p.m.) and two weeks on “night shift” (7:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m.).
• Senior residents who are not on their Night Float rotation will be assigned additional single weekend shifts throughout the year to maintain duty hour requirements for the Night Float residents.

Interventional Radiology (IR) Call

 During IR block rotations, senior residents will carry the service pager and periodically stand watch as per the IR schedule.

Military unique curriculum is blended into our scheduled didactics. This includes shared experiences from previous deployments, panel discussions, and various other professional development activities.

Residents are strongly encouraged to participate on multidisciplinary committees throughout the hospital to provide hospital stewardship and to develop leadership skills.

Mid-term counseling and mentorship sessions include military professional development and record review.

Each year, the hospital sponsors an Operational Medical Officer Roadshow to highlight various GMO opportunities. Senior residents are encouraged to attend.

ACR Institute for Radiologic Pathology is a 4-week course that all third-year residents attend (Silver Spring, Maryland).

We recently added the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) National Imaging Informatics Course to our curriculum as an opportunity to introduce this relevant topic and become more engaged participants in information technology discussions.

The NMCP Simulation Center offers a wide variety of customizable training solutions to augment the clinical experience in residency. Here are some examples of previous simulation activities:

• Contrast reaction management
• Ultrasound-guided biopsy skills lab

Leadership curriculum is incorporated into the Military Unique Curriculum.  Residents are also frequently nominated to attend external leadership development training in addition to local opportunities.  Some examples include:

• Navy Medical Leader and Professional Development Command courses
• Basic Readiness Officer Course
• Advanced Readiness Officer Course
• MHS Female Physician Leadership Course
• Various radiology community forums (for example American College of Radiology, Virginia Radiological Society, Radiological Society of North America, Association of University Radiologists)

Research activity is required during radiology residency. Individuals often have varying levels of background experience and interest in conducting research. Our goal is to provide foundational training by which all residents understand the key elements of conducting high-quality research. To that end, we incorporate formal didactics sponsored by the Clinical Investigation (Research) Department at NMCP into our curriculum. We also include research topics in our Journal Club discussions and other Non-Imaging Curriculum. Faculty mentors are available to assist in research projects.

Opportunities for participation in research include:

• Annual NMCP (and subsequent Navy-wide) Annual Research Competition and any other regional or national conference.
• Peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations

Quality improvement activity is required during radiology residency. Residents often complete individual quality improvement projects or participate in the NMCP Annual Quality Symposium. Training opportunity external to our curriculum exist for those with advanced interest.

• Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital (4th year trauma rotation)

NMCP Radiology Residency Program is the Sponsoring Organization for the Full-Time Inservice Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship (one year).  Please see their website for additional information.

Medical Student (and various other student) rotation opportunities exist. Our busy season is between June and October. We attempt to prioritize applicants in the current JGMESB cycle during that time. We encourage student rotators to immerse themselves in the department and identify any specific learning objectives they have up front. Typical rotations include exposure to many of the clinical sections where residents also rotate.

Please contact the Diagnostic Radiology Program if you wish to do a rotation within our department, dha.hampton-roads.portsmouth-nmc.list.nmcp-rads@health.mil.

Interviews are conducted during the designated interview season, generally from July through mid-October.  In-person interviews are preferred although virtual meetings may also be arranged.

The following required items must be submitted at least one week prior to your scheduled appointment:

• A copy of your current CV.
• A personal statement from you regarding your goals and interests in Radiology.

Also, if applicable:

• Provide clarification or contextual explanation regarding any possible adverse information that may appear in current/previous GME documentation or the application packet (to include Dean’s Letter and/or licensing exam failure).
• State your intention to participate in a couple’s match; meaning both you and your spouse are participating in this year’s JGMESB and desire to be assigned to the same location. If so, please include the desired specialty of your spouse.

Contact the program at the email address provided on this website or call the program at 757-953-1165 for information on how to schedule an interview.  Once your information is processed, you will receive an itinerary of the day's events and/or detailed instructions for online video / telephone meetings.

See the Navy GME and Air Force GME websites for more information.

Program graduates take the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Core Examination during their third year in training. To become fully board certified, eligible applicants must also successfully complete the ABR Certifying exam after graduation from residency.

See the ABR website for additional information.

Residents and Fellows often prepare and present material among peers and in multidisciplinary settings (including tumor boards). Furthermore, residents conduct their own weekly board preparation review sessions.

Additional teaching opportunities are available based on trainee interest. Examples include resuscitative medicine instructor certification and STEM mentorship at local high schools as schedules permit.

We are proud to have a well-rounded faculty with subspecialty training in Abdominal, Breast, Cardiothoracic, Interventional Radiology, Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Pediatric Radiology. We also have several general radiologists who work in each clinical section.

Level 2 Cardiac CT Certification is an elective course that residents may complete locally prior to graduation under the direction of our fellowship-trained staff.

Upon selection to residency, you will be paired with a resident mentor to assist with your transition to our program. During residency, you are paired with a faculty mentor and provided dedicated time to meet throughout each year.

Resident and family well-being is a priority for our trainees. Residents are provided an administrative half-day during each block rotation. The annual resident retreat is held each year in the Fall. We also look forward to resident graduation celebration each May as an opportunity to gather.

There are a great variety of recreational activities for families in the local area. Here are a couple of nearby attractions:

• Local zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden
• Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement
• Norfolk Tides (Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) and Norfolk Admirals (East Coast Hockey League)
• Nature trails, camping, and water activities