The Neuroradiology Fellowship provides neuroradiology training, in one-year and two-year tracks, to individuals who have successfully completed radiology residency. Eleven fellows are accepted each year, including up to five two-year fellows. The first year of the fellowship is ACGME accredited. In the second year, trainees are appointed as instructors/junior faculty, gradually assuming increasing responsibilities in a supportive environment with elective time to pursue subspecialty interests (e.g. head and neck, neuro-oncology, pain management, informatics) and/or research.
Location
Centered at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), the program also provides services at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital and Philadelphia Veterans' Administration Hospital (PVAMC), as well as multiple suburban outpatient imaging centers. Within these settings, fellows will receive training at a Level 1 trauma center, a comprehensive stroke center, a world-renowned pediatric medical center, and one of the nation’s leading cancer centers. At Penn Medicine, we have one of the premier radiology departments in the country, with the residency program consistently considered to be one of the top 10 in the nation.
Although we cover many sites, the clinical and educational campus for our fellows is located in the heart of University City in Philadelphia. All of the main sites (green stars) are within walking distance, with many convenient public transportation options between them.
Learn about living in Philadelphia
Scope of Training
Our division prides itself on being able to offer a busy, academically challenging experience in a very supportive environment that fosters learning and professional development. Our goal is to provide a nurturing, high quality, comprehensive and flexible learning experience in all facets of neuroradiology, where talented young physicians are encouraged to maximize their abilities.
We emphasize a multidisciplinary approach to neuroradiology training. The Neuroradiology service has a close interrelationship with the clinical and academic activities of the Departments/Divisions of Neurology, Head and Neck Surgery, Neurosurgery, Radiation and Medical Oncology, Psychiatry, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Emergency Medicine, Trauma, and Pathology. We participate in numerous multidisciplinary conferences at the various hospitals each week. Our holistic approach to neuroradiology education compels us to teach skills beyond image interpretation and emphasize qualities that define a successful radiologist, including communication, compassion, translation of imaging findings to patient management, acceptance of feedback to improve professional development, and evidence of self-learning.
Through exposure to a wide array of complex clinical cases, well thought out didactic lectures, and exciting research projects, we plan to achieve our goal by tailoring a personalized and increasingly challenging educational experience for each fellow based on their individual abilities.
Fellows are trained in the performance and interpretation of all aspects of neuroradiology, including:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- MR and CT angiography
- Advanced imaging techniques, including MR and CT perfusion, permeability, vessel wall imaging, spectroscopy, CSF flow studies, tractography, and fMRI
- Lumbar puncture and myelography
- Conventional angiography
- Interventional/image guided procedures, including vascular interventions, spinal pain management, spine and head and neck biopsies, blood patches, and vertebroplasties
- Head and neck radiology (at least 4 weeks)
- Pediatric neuroradiology (at least 4 weeks)
Clinical Volume
In recent years, we have performed over 130,000 imaging studies per year, including more than 50,000 CT scans, more than 70,000 MRIs, and more than 7,000 CT and MR angiograms, as well as approximately 700 cerebral and spinal angiograms, more than 300 vascular interventions, and more than 400 image-guided non-vascular procedures.
Equipment
Equipment at UPHS, CHOP and PVAMC includes more than thirty 1.5T and 3T MRI units, a 7T MRI unit, PET/MRI, numerous multidetector CT scanners (including PET/CT and portable CT scanners), three biplane interventional radiology suites with rotational angiographic capabilities, hybrid OR/angiography suites, as well as single plane angiography suites, and a magnetoencephalography unit. The newly opened Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) also houses an intraoperative MRI unit as well as an MRI unit located within the neurological ICU.
Neuroradiology Team
The neuroradiology division has been consistently growing for the past decade, including many of our own fellows being hired directly out of fellowship as well as faculty recruited from other institutions, with very low turnover of staff. There are now more than 25 full-time neuroradiologists in the group.
With such a large group of subspecialists, there is somebody involved in research in nearly every facet of neuroradiology, including artificial intelligence, brain tumor imaging, vascular imaging/stroke, demyelinating/inflammatory diseases, spine imaging, epilepsy, neuropsycology, neurodegenerative disorders, etc.
Curriculum
The formal curriculum includes multiple weekly didactic lectures given in blocks, with focus on advanced imaging modalities, emergency neuroradiology, neuro-oncology, head and neck/skull base, molecular imaging, physics, diversity and health care disparity topics, transitions in care, quality and safety, medical economics, mentoring, and advanced pediatric topics, including fetal MRI. There are extra lecture slots in the summer as part of an introductory neuroradiology boot camp.
Download our didactic curriculum
In addition to this extensive didactic curriculum that includes over 80 lectures, there are also weekly interesting case conferences and dedicated case conferences in vascular, head and neck and advanced imaging topics as well as multiple interdisciplinary conferences that the fellows have the opportunity to attend.
| WEEKLY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE |
| Time |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| 7:00am |
|
|
|
NSGY GR
(1 hr) |
|
| 7:30am |
|
Neurorad fellow case conference
(7:30 - 8:30) |
AI/H&N/vascular case conference
(7:30 -8:15) |
|
Summer Didactics and Workshops |
| 8:00am |
CHOP NeuroRad
(8:00 - 9:00) |
Brain Tumor Board
(1.5 hr) |
Neurorad/Neurology CPC conference (1 hr) |
| 8:15am |
Didactic Lecture
(8:15 - 9:00) |
|
|
| 12:00pm |
|
Radiology Grand Rounds |
CHOP Stroke Conference |
Neurology GR
(1 hr) |
|
| 1:00pm |
|
|
|
H&N Tumor Board
HUP Stroke Conf.
(1 hr)
|
|
| 4:00pm |
|
|
|
Epilepsy Conference
(1 hr) |
|
| 4:30pm |
|
|
|
NSGY Case Conf.
(1.5 hrs) |
|
Scholarly Activity
Scholarly activity is required of all fellows. Many of the neuroradiology staff perform funded research, enabling fellows to readily become involved in ongoing projects. All fellows are paired with both a primary and a secondary mentor. Additionally, multiple research faculty are either members of the neuroradiology division or are employed by centers (e.g., the Center for Biomedical Imaging) that work closely with the division. The neuroradiology division has its own research core comprised of a research director/coordinator and four research assistants that aid our faculty and fellows in research endeavors, including IRB submissions, patient recruitment for trials, and grant submissions. First-year fellows are provided with ½ to 1 academic day per week, as scheduling allows. Second-year fellows receive roughly 30-40% academic/elective time.
Excellence in Neuroradiology
Our program strives to produce the next generation of leaders in neuroradiology, delivering high quality, patient-centered care, engaging in life-long learning and teaching, and performing cutting edge research in neuroradiology/neuroscience. Our graduates have gone on to positions in multiple academic centers and private practices throughout the world as well as within the US military. Our graduates include multiple division chiefs, program directors and group presidents.
Our current fellows bring an amazing array of experiences to their work and come from diverse backgrounds. Meet them!
Application Requirements
Learn about requirements and how to apply
Program Leadership
Robert M. Kurtz, MD
Program Director
Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology
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James Eric Schmitt, MD, PHD
Assistant Program Director
Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology
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Contact Us
Coordinator: Tiffany Lance
Department of Radiology/Neuroradiology
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street/2 Dulles, Rm. 219
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Email: tiffany.lance@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Phone: 215-662-6865