The Department of Radiology

The Department of Radiology offers a complete range of imaging services and performs more than 400,000 procedures annually. Much of the foundational work in PET happened here with ongoing research. The department is staffed by over 40 attending physicians supported by a total of 24 diagnostic radiology residents in a four-year diagnostic radiology program. The Department of Radiology also offers a school in radiography.

Our Mission

The mission of the Department of Radiology is to provide

• Innovative imaging services of high quality
• Timely, compassionate care
• An enriching educational environment

Residency Program

Our Mission:
The University of Tennessee Radiology Residency Program’s mission is to train outstanding radiologists who will thrive in any environment, be it academic or private practice, and best serve their patients and their community. The residency is committed to giving them the tools necessary to practice radiology competently and confidently while instilling the attributes of being a lifelong learner and community leader. We are committed to providing the resources and mentorship necessary to accomplish this goal.

Our Aims:
1. The University of Tennessee Radiology Residency Program’s aim is to attract, educate, and develop people who will best serve our community and the global community as radiologists.
2. We aim to provide the breadth of educational and experiential opportunities required to graduate outstanding radiologists.
3. We aim to instill the habits of perpetual learning and growth in order to best serve and adapt in a changing environment.
4. We aim to provide the best care for our patients and community.

Description:
The UTHSC COM-Knoxville four-year diagnostic radiology residency program accepts six PGY-2 residents per year. The Transitional Year Residency Program at UTHSC COM-Knoxville has four dedicated PGY-1 TY resident positions available to accepted diagnostic radiology residents interested in completing all five years of residency in Knoxville at UTHSC COM-Knoxville. All but the America Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) and pediatric rotations occur on the main campus.

The radiology residency program is structured to introduce each subspecialty of radiology, with specific rotations in services dedicated to body, chest, musculoskeletal, and neuro-imaging, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy, mammography, emergency medicine, and interventional radiology, along with pediatric rotations at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in partnership with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville. Basic understanding of individual techniques is emphasized, followed by hands-on experience designed to allow the resident increasingly greater responsibilities as the training program progresses.

In addition to conventional diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, training is offered in computer science, related imaging technologies, angiography, and vascular and interventional radiology. A dedicated radiology physics course provides first year residents with the necessary physics foundation required of all radiologists, with topics specifically designed to prepare residents for the American Board of Radiology Core Exam.

Facilities

The Department of Radiology's equipment is housed in a 43,000-square-foot facility.
Equipment includes:

• Full-departmental PACS network featuring filmless and paperless image interpretation
• Prototype LSO-crystal PET-CT scanner, in partnership with Siemens Medical Solutions Molecular Imaging (SMSMI)
• Five on-site high-field MRI units (three 1.5 Tesla units and two 3 Tesla units, with an additional satellite units in development)
• Six on-site CT scanners (one unit is dedicated for interventional procedures)
• An 11 MeV cyclotron
• Comprehensive Breast Center
• An environment of growth with multiple new projects under development

Employment

The department employs approximately 150 technical and support personnel.

Patient Base

University Health System Incorporated, works with the UTHSC COM-Knoxville to create The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Approximately 400,000 exams are performed each year with a regional population base approaching 1.5 million in a larger 21 county service area. The University of Tennessee Medical Center is a regional tertiary referral academic medical center with busy trauma, surgical, oncologic, medical, pediatric and obstetrical services.

Letter from the Program Director

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the University of Tennessee radiology residency program in Knoxville. Thank you for your interest. You have made a great choice in radiology as a career, one that will challenge you to grow and allow you to serve the most, and sickest, patients throughout your life. As you embark on this phase of your training, you’ll find that all ACGME accredited programs offer a common core of experiences and education that produce qualified radiologists. Your challenge is to find one best suited to you, one that will allow for the greatest personal growth while hopefully being a place that you can enjoy during your time training and at home. I sincerely believe that this program is outstanding, providing dedicated and passionate faculty, robust experience diagnosing diverse pathology, a warm community that is both welcoming an engaging, and a beautiful environment to explore when outside the hospital.

Our residents highly value their graduated autonomy which rapidly develops their skills as radiologists. From the beginning, residents are exposed to the full gamut of modalities and quickly develop confidence overcoming any problem before them. By the time they graduate, our average resident has read over 13,500 studies, placing them in the 85th percentile of our nation’s residents. That translates into higher confidence on a first job and added proficiency in any fellowship. Check out our alumni page to see where they go from here!

When the residents aren't in the hospital, they like to get out and spend time together, enjoying the community and environment. Knoxville is an amazing city with the quintessential "college-town" vibe. It's big enough to host major entertainers but small enough to erase traffic as a concern. Our airport is easy to get in and out of but America’s most visited national park is at our back door!

I hope you find our website informative and I wish you the best of luck on your next steps, but I must warn you, if you come here for residency, you may never want to leave. Be sure to ask Dr. Peeke, Dr. Morin-Ducote, Dr. Daker, Dr. Knight, Dr. Fu, Dr. Noe, Dr. Vermillion, Dr. Dewitt, Dr. Eberly, Dr. Embry, Dr. Fathy, Dr. Seaton, Dr. Pearson, and Dr. Mahony!

Cheers,
R. Ian Gray, MD, MBA
Radiology Resident Program Director