Letter From Cardiovascular Imaging Program
Dear Fellowship Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the Cardiovascular Imaging Program at the University of Utah. Our program is designed to give you expertise in cardiac MRI and cardiac CT which will fulfill the requirements for level III training. Cardiologists and radiologists with a wide range of clinical expertise staff the cardiovascular MRI and CT service at the University of Utah. We have strong clinical, translational, and basic research collaborations, which includes partnerships with the Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR), the Department of Radiology, and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI). The Cardiovascular MRI and CT
service is responsible for the acquisition, interpretation, and reporting of all cardiac MRI
and CT scans performed at the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics.
Our imaging fellows are an integral part of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and work with all cardiology sections including general cardiology, electrophysiology, interventional, and the heart failure/transplant service. The fellow’s specific clinical responsibilities include clarifying exam indications with referring physicians, designing protocols for CT and MRI studies, supervising imaging acquisition, interpreting all studies in collaboration with the attending on service, communicating relevant findings to the referring physicians, and educating the general cardiology fellows as they rotate on the service.
The one-year program is designated to alternate weeks of clinical MRI and CT training with dedicated research time. We have active research in a broad range of cardiovascular imaging including stress perfusion and viability, atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia, aortic stenosis and TAVR, heart transplantation, and coronary imaging. Fellows will have clinical and scientific mentors for their research and are expected to participate in original scientific investigations on which they are the principal investigator.
Our MRI/CT reading room is physically located within the University of Utah Imaging Lab near the MRI and CT scanners. Currently we have a dual source Siemens Somatom Definition scanner for cardiac CT scans and three Siemens MRI scanners (two 1.5T and a 3T) for cardiac MRIs. The 3T magnet is located in cardiology’s EP MRI lab, the first integrated electrophysiology and MRI lab build in North America.
There is a weekly, formal advanced cardiovascular imaging conference, which is a robust conference series aimed at giving a comprehensive framework in cardiac MRI and CT. The fellow will be expected to participate in this lecture series and present on clinical and research topics. One-on-one teaching between the attending and fellows is also a fundamental aspect of interpretation of MRI and CT cases and an important means of hands-on learning.
On completion of training, the cardiovascular imaging program will certify that the requirements at a particular skill level have been met. Counseling, guidance, and feedback are provided biannually to ensure the fellow is knowledgeable about his/her skill level. The program’s aim is to help its fellows meet their career goals and encourage them to be leaders in the field of advanced imaging.
We review applications from September to December of each year and conduct interviews from September to January in a first come, first serve basis for one to two positions starting the following July.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (801) 585-2341.
All interested applications can apply by providing us with your CV, a brief personal statement, and three letters of recommendation (one from your program director). Also please indicate what your citizenship/visa status is and provide a copy of appropriate documentation (if you are not a US citizen). Please note the University of Utah only accepts J-1 visas for incoming house staff who are not either a citizen of the United States or permanent resident of the United States.
Your application materials should be received between September 1st and December 1st and addressed to:
Cardiovascular Imaging Program, c/o Jennifer Schroff
University of Utah Health
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
30 North 1900 East, 4A100 SOM
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-2401
801-585-2341
To apply, please send your information to jennifer.schroff@hsc.utah.edu.