Overview
Cleveland Clinic’s Thoracic Imaging Fellowship program offers comprehensive training in all aspects of thoracic imaging including thoracic CT, MR, and plain film. Chest intervention and biopsy rotations are integral part of the fellowship training. Depending upon a fellow’s level of interest, a portion of each fellow’s schedule is protected for academic and scholarly pursuits such as research projects, preparation of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and preparing presentations for national meetings. Mentors are available to guide fellows through these endeavors.
For projects where the fellow is listed as the first author and presenter of a poster or presentation, the Office of Graduate Medical Education provides funding for attendance, pending approval by the fellowship director. A unique resource at Cleveland Clinic is the Center for Medical Art and Photography, which supports academic efforts—a resource past fellows have found particularly valuable.
The Thoracic Imaging Fellowship is a 12-month, non-ACGME/non-standard fellowship running from July 1 to June 30 offering two positions each year. For those interested in a combined Cardiothoracic Fellowship, several training pathways are available:
- 9 months thoracic; 3 months cardiac
- 6 months (thoracic); 6 months (cardiac)
- Limited clinical provider (4 days clinical fellow and 1 clinical day per week in region as staff for additional salary
Additionally, interested fellows may pursue an informatics/quality track, allowing for a concurrent mini-fellowship by dedicating one day per week to informatics or quality improvement.
The Cleveland Clinic thoracic practice is a high-volume clinical service, interpreting over 150,000 thoracic imaging examinations (including 45,000 CT imaging studies) and over 300 interventional procedures annually. Our department is equipped with state-of-the-art Siemens technology. Advanced imaging techniques such as quantitative imaging, dual-energy CT (DECT), photon-counting CT, and 3D printing are routinely performed. The breadth and complexity of pathologies—ranging from interstitial lung disease to post-cardiac and lung transplant cases to rare infectious diseases—are unparalleled.
The department consists of 12 full-time, fellowship-trained thoracic imagers. It is one of the largest thoracic radiology sections in the country. All staff are approachable, enthusiastic educators who actively engage in teaching fellows and residents.
Fellows participate in a wide range of interdisciplinary conferences, including:
- Interstitial Lung Disease Conference
- Rad-Path Conference
- Lung Cancer Tumor Board
- Lung Cancer Screening/Nodule Management Tumor Board
- Lung Transplant Conference
- Infectious Disease Conference
- CTEPH/PERT
These conferences provide opportunities for collaboration with clinical colleagues. The fellows also prepare and present at interesting case conferences, resident conferences, medical student conferences, and journal club.
Graduates of our program are exceptionally well-prepared for both academic and private practice careers.
*** All applicants must have completed a United States residency training program in diagnostic radiology and must be board certified or eligible by the American Board of Radiology prior to commencing the fellowship. Foreign applicants must also be Board eligible in their country of origin, ECFMG (Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates) certified and be USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) certified with passing scores on Steps one, two, and three. ***
Curriculum
- A typical workday is 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Interpretation of all cardiothoracic imaging studies including radiographs, CT and MRI.
- Ample exposure to all thoracic procedures including a high volume of biopsies (CT and ultrasound guided); preoperative nodule localizations, chest tube placements and radiofrequency tumor ablation.
- Exposure to multidisciplinary aspects of cardiothoracic imaging including participation in second opinion consultations with pulmonary, infectious disease, surgery, oncology, and rheumatology colleagues.
- Participation in didactic and clinical conferences including multidisciplinary Interstitial lung disease conference (weekly), Rad-Path conference (bi-monthly), Lung cancer tumor board (weekly), Lung cancer screening nodule management tumor board (weekly), Lung transplant conference (monthly), Infectious disease conference (quarterly) and CTEPH/PERT (weekly), Radiology–Pathology Correlation conference (bimonthly), Asthma conference (weekly), Fellows Conference (monthly), Journal Club (quarterly), and additional departmental conferences including Grand Rounds and the residency Interesting Case Conference.
- Weekend call responsibilities, once a month.
Benefits
Salary as of 2025 for PGY-6:
- $80,171 (traditional pathway).
- Fellows working as a limited clinical provider in the region will receive additional salary for one clinical day each week.
Academic funding
- Up to 5 days for meetings per year.
- Up to $4,000 for oral presentations.
- Up to $1,000 for attendance only meetings.
- $1000 discretionary fund.
- $850 book fund.
Vacation and time away
- 15 vacation days per year.
- 5 personal/interview days.
Additional benefits
- At least 12 weeks of elective rotations in traditional thoracic fellowship.
- Cleveland Clinic iPhone for the year.
- Comprehensive medical/dental/vision insurance.
- Maternity leave (8 weeks paid) and parental leave (4 weeks paid).
- Employee assistance program.
- Employee wellness program, including free gym membership.
Faculty
Ruffin Graham, MD
Section Head
Undergraduate: Duke University School of Medicine
Graduate School: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Rhode Island Hospital
Medical Education: Texas Tech University School of Medicine
Residency: Saint Elizabeth Health Center - Youngstown, OH
Fellowship: Evanston Hospital and Cleveland Clinic
Ruchi Yadav, MD
Thoracic Imaging Fellowship Director
Internship: Grand Medical College & Sir J.J. Group Hospital
Medical Education: Grant Medical College & Sir JJ Hospital Group
Residency: Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion Hospital - Mumbai, India
Fellowship: Thoracic Imaging, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Fellowship: Abdominal Imaging, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Interests: Interstitial lung disease, sarcoidosis, quantitative imaging and teaching
Undergraduate: Case Western Reserve University
Medical Education: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Internship: MetroHealth Medical Center
Residency: Mallinckrodt Institute Washington University
Fellowship: Mallinckrodt Institute Washington
Interests: Lung nodule and lung cancer screening
Undergraduate: Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Medical Education: Indiana University School of Medicine
Residency: Indiana University Hospitals
Fellowship: Saint Luke's Hospital - Kansas City
Interests: Teaching
Medical Education: Allama Iqbal Medical College
Graduate School: Center for nuclear studies islamabad, Pakistan
Internship: Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan
Residency: Shaukat Khanam Cancer Research Institute lahore, Pakistan
Residency: St. Mary's Hospital NHS trust London, Cleveland, OH
Residency: University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Fellowship: University of Michigan Health System Ann Arbor, MI
Interests: Procedures and interstitial lung disease
Medical Education: Calcutta Medical College
Residency: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research
Residency: Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
Fellowship: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Graduate School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Interests: Research and teaching
Medical Education: Damascus University - Faculty of Medicine
Fellowship: Thoracic imaging, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Residency: Diagnostic radiology, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Fellowship: Pediatric radiology, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Graduate School: Ner Israel Rabbinical College
Medical Education: New York Medical College
Internship: Richmond University Medical Center
Residency: Norwalk Hospital
Fellowship: University of Maryland
Interests: Procedures, lung nodule localization and teaching
Medical Education: Grant Medical College, University of Bombay
Residency: Edgewater Hospital
Fellowship: Saint Louis University Hospital
Residency: Saint Louis University Hospital
Fellowship: Washington University Medical Center
Interests: 3D printing and teaching
Internship: KEM Hospital
Medical Education: University of Mumbai, Seth G.S. Medical College
Residency: B.J. Medical College
Fellowship: Cardiovascular imaging, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Fellowship: Thoracic imaging, Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH
Interests: Pulmonary hypertension and teaching
Medical Education: Korea University College of Medicine
Internship: Asan Medical Center, Ulsan College of Medicine
Residency: Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
Fellowship: University of Michigan Medical Center
Internship: Xinhua Hospital
Residency: University of Science & Technology of China
Medical Education: Peking Union Medical University
Fellowship: Beijing University-Body Imaging
Fellowship: University of Washington-Cardiovascular MR Research
Residency: St. Vincent’s Medical Center-Diagnostic Radiology
Fellowship: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - Cardiothoracic Radiology
How to Apply
To apply, please print out and complete the Thoracic and Cardiac Imaging Fellowship Application and submit it along with a personal statement, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference to the Fellowship Program Director and Coordinator. Applicants are encouraged to obtain an Ohio medical license, DEA number, and be ABR (American Board of Radiology) eligible prior to the beginning of the fellowship.
Download the fellowship application.
Ruchi Yadav, MD
Program Director
Section of Thoracic & Cardiac Imaging
Cleveland Clinic Imaging Institute
9500 Euclid Ave. – L10
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
216.445.0573
yadavr@ccf.org
Zachary Muetzel
Fellowship Coordinator
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave., L10
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
muetzez@ccf.org
Subsequent required interviews will be granted on a first come, first serve basis.
Please take a moment to review a listing of all the requirements that must be met to train at Cleveland Clinic as well as the non-smoking policy.
