Body Imaging Fellowship

The Fellowship provides trainees with a comprehensive and structured program across different sites in San Francisco, including a tertiary referral campus at Parnassus Heights, a women's imaging and cancer center at Mission Bay, the Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG), a Level 1 Trauma Center, and several outpatient facilities. The fellowship is geared to be a high-volume well-rounded program encompassing all modern aspects of body imaging to prepare fellows to successfully operate in any setting, whether in academics or private practice. 

Rotations

MRI

• Fellows interpret a wide variety of studies using the latest sequences and technologies, including one of the first clinically available mid-field scanners in the world. 
• Fellows will be highly capable of interpreting studies for evaluation of the prostate with 3D segmentation, rectal cancer staging, enterography, elastography, cervical and uterine cancer staging, deep infiltrative endometriosis, adnexal masses, neuroendocrine tumors, hepatobiliary cancers and diseases including MRCP with or without secretin, liver transplant, urography and bladder cancer, renal masses and surveillance, and vascular MRA/MRV. 
• Fellows will also gain experience with defecography and pelvimetry and be familiar with our protocols. Interested fellows can spend additional time learning placental, obstetrical and fetal MR. 

CT

• Fellow encounter a wide variety of pathologies, including cancer staging and metastatic workup, trauma imaging, and infectious workups, with a busy inpatient, emergency, and outpatient service.
• Fellows will be well versed in liver transplant imaging and HCC, urography, and gain valuable knowledge with our protocols.
• Fellows will be familiar with CT colonography and patient preparation, liver and renal transplant donor imaging workups, deep inferior epigastric rectus flap planning, and gender affirmation imaging.

Ultrasound

• Fellows will have exposure to a wide variety of cases, including emergency ultrasound (testicular and ovarian torsion, ectopic pregnancy), liver, renal, and pancreatic transplant, liver cancer screening, contrast ultrasound, elastography, obstetric and pelvic ultrasound (including first trimester, fetal survey, level II obstetrical exams, endovaginal biopsies, placenta accreta spectrum disorders, gestational trophoblastic disease), and hysterosonography and hysterosalpino-contrast sonography to evaluate tubal patency. 
• Fellows have the option to increase their exposure to transplant and inpatient ultrasound, obstetrics and gynecology, or musculoskeletal ultrasound and procedures to fit their future practice needs. 
• Lastly, the ultrasound services incorporate a large number of procedures, including biopsies, contrast enhanced ultrasound, and drainages, which all fellows participate in.

Procedures

• Image-guided procedures - include solid organ and soft tissue biopsies using Ultrasound and CT. Fellows will perform ultrasound-guided drainages, MSK procedures including barbotage and injections, ablations, and transplant and endovaginal biopsies.
• PET/MR and PET/CT - fellows will interpret studies using the latest advances in molecular imaging with novel radiotracers for the detection of prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and other malignancies.
• Other subspecialties: Fellows will have exposure to musculoskeletal imaging during their ultrasound rotation and while at SFVAMC, including MSK MR and arthrograms. Fellows will also interpret pediatric ultrasound at ZSFG.

Electives

Fellows can choose to participate in an elective in one of the other radiological subspecialties at UCSF to gain valuable experience to tailor their skillsets for their future job.

Fleet

Fellows will learn the latest advances and techniques in body imaging. UCSF and ZSFG uses state-of-the-art equipment of different vendors and fellows will be familiar with interpreting and protocoling high-field strength MRI and dual-energy CT.

Our clinical fleet includes at least:

• One PET/MR
• Ten+ GE 3T scanners
• One Phillips 3T scanner
• Four Siemens 3T scanners
• One GE 1.5T scanner
• One Siemens 0.55T scanner
• GE CT scanners with dual energy
• Siemens CT scanners with dual energy
• Three+ PET/CT

Lectures

During the first two months, fellows have up to three lectures a week as part of the orientation series, designed to bring fellows up to speed on a variety of important subjects, including our protocols, sequences and series, standardized reporting systems including LI-RADS, O-RADS, PI-RADS, TI-RADS, US transplants, hysterosalpinography, MRI safety and policies, 3D prostate segmentation, Bosniak, and biopsy techniques. 

Recurring fellows lecture hour is on Fridays, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Lectures are on advanced fellow topics from our faculty or guest faculty from other institutions. Additional topics include deep infiltrative endometriosis, enterography, MR physics, pancreatic cancer, advanced transplant, post-partum complications, bile duct disease, defecography, and gender affirmation imaging. 

Conferences

Fellows present at several other conferences including:

• Interesting case conference - weekly
• GI case conference - weekly
• Liver tumor board - weekly
• ZSFG tumor board - weekly
• GYN-US correlation conference - monthly
• QI/QA meeting - quarterly
• Journal Club - quarterly
• LA Body Club - quarterly

Fellows have the option to attend or present at several other conferences, including:

• Gyn-Onc Tumor Board
• Pancreas Tumor Board
• Colorectal and GI oncology Tumor Board
• Adrenal / Endocrine Tumor Board
• Renal Ablation Tumor Board
• Endometriosis Conference
• OB/GYNE conference - monthly

Additional Resources

Each fellow will receive dedicated academic time and mentoring with both provided for research, educational, multidisciplinary, and quality improvement projects. Academic time is provided at least twice a month but often more frequently to facilitate projects. 
 
Fellows have successfully presented at national meetings including RSNA, SAR, and SABI, and published in peer-reviewed journals. Many past fellows have successfully worked with our faculty and resources to help prepare them for successful careers in academics and education or to implement clinical programs in their next practice.  

Rotation call

Each fellow takes a week-long rotation-specific call. The only days the trainee will interpret studies for the call are on the weekends and holidays when they'll need to be in the hospital, often from 8a-3p. The frequency of calls is about once every 4 weeks. 

• Rotations: Abdominal (CT/MR), Ultrasound, ZSFG
• Pager backup after hours for questions, fellow also backed up by faculty
• Work on weekends 
  • Abdominal and US: send all studies to faculty
  • ZSFG: final signs inpatient, daytime ER, and some overnight ER non-neuro CTs that have resident preliminary interpretations 

Why we love San Francisco

We know living in a city may incur additional expenses, however we believe living and experiencing the rich culture, beautiful nature, and diverse neighborhoods of San Francisco and the Bay Area is worth it! We try to compensate for this with competitive salaries, subsidized housing, excellent transportation, education funds, meal cards, and retirement benefits. With Napa and the Golden Gate Bridge to the north, Big Sur and Monterey to the south, the Pacific Coast to the west, and Oakland, Berkeley, Yosemite, and Tahoe to the east, we are minutes to hours away from some of the most breathtaking landscapes, food, outdoor activities, and parks in the world. Fellows frequently gather outside of work to explore the city or the bay area, join for happy hour, watch movies outdoors at Mission Dolores, meet for game nights, or hike along our grand landscapes. The city truly is a wonderful place to spend a year for an excellent educational experience.

Transportation

Fellows either drive their personal car, ride the shuttle, take ride-share, or bike-share to get our various sites and campuses. 

• Shuttle – UCSF offers a free shuttle system to all employees and patients to all campuses. 
• Parking – Daily use and monthly discount parking rates for employees. Street parking available at certain campuses. 
• Weekend and after-hours parking at UC campuses - free

Other programs

• Pre-Tax Commuter Programs – save money by setting aside part of your salary to transportation. 
• Ride-share Programs – GME provides some funds for a limited number of ride-share programs. 
• Bike/Bike-share: Bike to work with your own bike or bike share throughout the city! 

More information can be found at the UCSF Transportation website.

Life after fellowship

The fellowship has successfully matched trainees with employment both in academia and private practice, not only in California but throughout the country. Recent fellows in academia have stayed at UCSF or moved on to Mayo, Oregon Health Sciences, Ohio State, Emory, Beth Israel, Duke, UC Irvine, and USC, all to have successful careers. Fellows going into private practice have been extremely competitive, often able to obtain employment at their desired location and usually at the practice of their choosing, including practicing internationally.

The department along with the alumni association, The Margulis Society, helps hold seminars to help trainees take the necessary steps to becoming a full-fledged radiologist after UCSF. Our large alumni network of former fellows and residents helps develop strong ties to which ever region a fellow wishes to go to. 

Salary 2024-2025, non-ACGME fellowships

Other benefits (annually)

(Source: UCSF School of Medicine website)

Moonlighting

For eligible fellows, there are several internal moonlighting opportunities.

Internal moonlighting is automatically built into the general fellow call on weeknights and ultrasound fellow call on weekends and holidays. Coverage of radiographs is $85/hour and radiographs and ultrasounds is $100/hour.

Fellows can also sign up for scoliosis radiograph moonlighting which pays variably per plain film read.

Fellows can moonlight internally and externally with permission of the program director, while they are in good academic standing, and as long as moonlighting does not interfere with fellowship responsibilities.

Time off (paid per year)

Days do not need to be taken consecutively. 
Conference time can be subsidized or reimbursed depending on authorship of a presentation, exhibit, or workshop. 

Subsidized Housing

Fellows are eligible for subsidized housing, often 20-35% below market value, located near the hospitals at the Parnassus, Mt. Zion, and Mission Bay campuses. Housing varies from furnished studios to unfurnished apartments suitable for families. Some housing comes with parking while other locations require to pay parking separately. All locations are accessible by shuttle with the campuses or are located at the campus themselves. Many sites are accessible by bike share services.

Housing rates:

More information can be found at the UCSF Housing website.

Union

Our fellows are part of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR). The union is responsible for increasing salaries annually, meal allowance, paternity leave, and helping with the reimbursement of licenses, all which greatly increases a trainee’s quality of life. Trainees are thrilled to be part of the union. More information can be found at the union website.

Health care and insurance

Fellows can choose for affordable health care plans offered by UCSF, including medical, dental, and vision. Fellows can also have a free membership to One Medical for quick access to primary care.

Fellows also have access to other benefits, including disability and life insurance. All fellows are enrolled in a Defined Contribution Retirement Savings Plan (7.5% pre-tax salary) in lieu of contributing to Social Security. More contributions to 403(b) and 457(b) plans are optional. Benefits for UCSF GME can be found at the UCSF School of Medicine website.

CME

Fellows are eligible to discounted CME provided UCSF radiology. Our courses can be found at the UCSF Radiology CME website.

Laptop and information technology

Fellows are issued a department PC which can also be used to review and dictate studies remotely. Laptop is preloaded with productivity software, VPN access, Powerscribe, Visage, and Epic so that fellows can review cases at home or outside the hospital. 
 
Fellows are provided an iPhone to facilitate communication and messaging.

Apply 

If you would like to apply, please visit our Radiology Fellowship application page.