Head and Neck Imaging Visiting Observership Program
Head and Neck Imaging Visiting Observership Program
Objectives
The University of Utah Head and Neck Imaging Section offers a Visiting Observership program for advanced Head and Neck Imaging experience. This program offers advanced customized personal continuing education on head and neck imaging clinical and non-clinical activities. Observership experiences range from 1 to 12 months in length. The primary focus of this program is CT and MRI head and neck cross sectional imaging, with ultrasound and nuclear medicine imaging experience also available. Personal education at the workstation as well as individual lectures and teaching on head and neck imaging is also highlighted, with access to several weekly conferences, live and recorded lectures, access to case archives, and multidisciplinary treatment planning conferences.
At the end of this observership, the participant will:
- Expand their knowledge in the application of head and neck radiologic tests to evaluate head and neck pathologies.
- Improve their ability to recognize the key imaging features for accurate diagnosis of head and neck diseases.
- Understand head and neck MRI and CT imaging resources.
Radiology international visiting observers must obtain a visitor (B1/B2) visa to come to the United States for medical education. If accepted as visiting observer, the Department of Radiology will provide an acceptance letter that may be helpful in obtaining a visitor visa. The Department can only sponsor J1 visas for visiting faculty and scholars.
Observers must follow medical center health screening policy. All visiting observers between October and April will be required to submit documentation of current seasonal influenza vaccination. Visitors spending more than 10 days will be required to submit evidence of vaccination or positive titer for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis B, in addition to TDAP vaccination, and negative TB status. 1 or 2 doses of COVID vaccination is recommended but not required.
Visiting observers must be financially self-sufficient for the entire duration of their appointment. The Observer appointment is an unpaid position, therefore transportation, housing, health insurance, and living expenses are the responsibility of the observer.
Visiting medical students, international visiting resident/fellow, and physician application requirements include:
- Completed Application
- Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Cover Letter (should include a statement of purpose)
- Two Current Letters of Recommendation
- Copy of Passport Biographical Page
- Professional headshot
- Certified Medical Diploma, if applicable
- ECFMG, if applicable
- USMLE transcript, if applicable
- English Proficiency
All documents not originally in English must be translated by a certified translation agency at the applicant’s expense
Proof of Health Insurance and Visa Approval required after acceptance into program
Availability to schedule virtual interview
Note: For observership purposes, “visiting medical students” does not include students participating in the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities Program coordinated through the University of Utah.
Financial Application
- $50.00 non-refundable application fee
- $450.00 Administrative fee (for background checks, drug screens, and administrative time onboarding/offboarding)
- $1,000.00 a week for the first 4 weeks then $800.00 a week for 4+ weeks up to 52 weeks
The visiting observer is responsible for locating and paying for lodging, meals, and transportation for the duration of their opportunity at University of Utah.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing via email to RadMedEd@utah.edu
Observer-Initiated Cancellations:
- If you need to cancel your observation, as a professional courtesy, please notify us as soon as possible.
Failure to Complete Pre-Arrival Requirements:
- If the observer fails to respond to communication or complete the required pre-arrival documentation at least two weeks before the start date, this will be treated as a cancellation.
Program-Initiated Cancellations:
- If the University of Utah host physician or department cancels the observership, we will work to reschedule your observation.
Conduct Violations:
- Observers who demonstrate unprofessional behavior, violate University of Utah policies, or otherwise fail to adhere to program expectations may be removed from the program.
University of Utah and University of Utah Health Care System
The University of Utah is ranked among the top 30 public research universities in the nation with particular distinction in medicine and health sciences. The University of Utah Health Care System is the Intermountain West’s only academic health care system combining excellence in patient care with the latest in medical research and teaching. The system includes four hospitals: The University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University Orthopedic Center, and the University Neuropsychiatric Institute. It also includes 10 community clinics and several specialty centers including the John A. Moran Eye Center, the Cardiovascular Center, the Clinical Neurosciences Center, and the Utah Diabetes Center. Collectively, UUHS has 680 inpatient beds and provides care for 1.2 million Utahns and residents of five surrounding states in a referral area encompassing more than 10% of the continental U.S. UUHS is staffed by 1,100 board-certified University of Utah physicians representing all medical specialties, 8,000 committed staff members, and 711 full-time registered nurses. University of Utah Health Care is also one of the largest providers of ambulatory services in Utah with more than 80 general and specialty outpatient clinics and over 770,000 patient visits per year. As part of an academic health care system, the University Hospital leverages its ties to the University of Utah Health Sciences Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health, to advance translational research projects and transform patient health care. The University Hospital is physically located alongside the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, the John A. Moran Eye Center, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Primary Children’s Medical Center buildings enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration among clinicians, basic scientists, and bioinformatics experts.
University of Utah Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences
The Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences is part of the School of Medicine and the Health Sciences. All imaging in the Health Sciences Hospitals and Clinics are managed by the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences.
All MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, and X-ray imagers are directly connected via a high-speed network. Images from all devices can be easily transferred between groups. MRI scanners are equipped with multiple receiver coils and have the maximum memory available from Siemens. The University of Utah Department of Radiology has 12 radiographic rooms for routine radiographic/fluoroscopic procedures. Also available are Special Procedure rooms for conventional, interventional and digital angiography.
World-Class Research. We strive to make a global impact as we advance imaging sciences research, particularly MRI, PET, CT, and ultrasound techniques. The expertise found in our acclaimed Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research (UCAIR) ranges from mathematics and engineering to clinical trials.
Rigorous Training for Radiologists, Scientists, Technologists, and Medical Students. We are innovators in radiology education, having produced internationally acclaimed training materials. The department offers a range of educational programs for physicians, scientists, and staff. We encourage all of our trainees to be leaders in their fields.
The Best Clinical Care. Our radiologists and staff provide outstanding patient care using the advanced diagnostic and interventional technologies in our broad clinical network. Our faculty are recognized as national and international experts in their fields. We measure our success by the quality of care we provide to our patients.
Clinical MR scanners
The Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences occupies approximately 20,000 sq. ft. in the University of Utah Health Sciences Center (HSC) and about 4,000 sq. ft. in the Imaging and Neurosciences Center (INC). The department also manages resources in the Huntsman Cancer Hospital (HCH), the Clinical Neurosciences Center (CNC), the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI), the Sugar House Health Center (SHHC), the South Jordan Health Center (SJHC), the Farmington Health Center (FHC) and the University Orthopaedic Center. The following MRI scanners are used at the sites listed:
- Health Sciences Center: 1 Siemens Avanto-fit 1.5T MRI scanner, 1 Siemens Aera 1.5T MRI scanner, 1 Siemens Skyra 3T MRI scanner.
- Huntsman Cancer Hospital: 1 Siemens Avanto 1.5T MRI scanner, 1 IMRIS surgical system with 1 Siemens 1.5T Espree MRI scanner.
- Clinical Neurosciences Center: 1 Siemens Skyra 3T MRI scanner, 1 Verio 3T MRI scanner.
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute: 1 Siemens Prisma 3T MRI scanner
- Sugar House Health Center: 1 Siemens Sola 1.5T scanner, 1 Siemens Skyra 3T scanner
- South Jordan Health Center: 1 Siemens Aera 1.5 T MRI Scanner
- Farmington Health Center: 1 Siemens Aera 1.5T MRI Scanner
- University Orthopaedic Center: 1 Siemens Avanto-fit 1.5T scanner
All MRI scanners are directly connected to the lab computer network backbone (ATM); images from all devices can be easily transferred between groups. MRI scanners are equipped with multiple receiver coils and have the maximum memory available from Siemens.
Additional Imaging Equipment
CT scanners available include one Siemens Definition (dual tube) multidetector CT scanner, two Siemens Sensation 64 multidetector CT scanners, and one Siemens Emotion 16 multidetector CT scanner. Nuclear medicine equipment available include a GE PETtrace cyclotron with Negative ion accelerator, one GE Advance high-resolution BGO PET scanner, one Siemens Biograph 16 PET/CT scanner, one GE Discovery ST PET/CT, two Siemens ECAM gamma camera with SPECT, and one IRIX three-detector gamma camera with SPECT.