Diagnostic Radiology Residency

Overview

Message from the Director

Dear Applicants:

Thank you for your interest in the Cleveland Clinic Diagnostic Radiology Residency program! Our large, subspecialized radiology department performs and interprets almost 3 million exams across our enterprise each year. We have well over 100 staff radiologists on our main campus alone, trained in all subspecialties, who teach and mentor our 36 current residents. Many of our staff radiologists are active in research at the national and international level with numerous contributions to literature. They welcome residents to participate in their research.

Cleveland Clinic is one of the top hospitals in the United States and is nationally ranked in many medical specialties. As a national and international referral center, we see patients with a variety of complex medical problems from around the country and around the world. In addition, we serve as the primary care center for thousands of people in our neighboring counties in Northeast Ohio. Our varied patient population allows our trainees to learn radiology through patients with a mix of both complex and bread-and-butter pathology.

Our residents receive a comprehensive radiology education that allows them to effectively navigate the competitive and demanding world of diagnostic radiology. They are trained in each of the subspecialty areas, including cardiothoracic radiology, abdominal imaging, neuroradiology, pediatrics, nuclear radiology, breast imaging, and interventional radiology. In their final year of residency, our trainees can take advantage of up to eight electives in advanced subspecialty areas-of-concentration. This could be used for additional experience in their fellowship subspecialty, additional preparation for private practice or even preparation for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Certifying Exam. Alternatively, we offer the opportunity to participate in the Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology program or the ABR Pathway to Dual Certification in Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Radiology. Our residents have completed fellowships all over the country in all radiology subspecialties and they are successfully employed in both academia and private practice.

Guiding our residents through the training process are myself and three associate program directors, as well as our program manager and program administrator, who handle the day-to-day operations of the residency. The program director works closely with the Cleveland Clinic Graduate Medical Education Department and the Cleveland Clinic Imaging Institute Education Committee which is comprised of education liaisons from each of the subspecialty areas and upper-level radiology administration. This solid relationship shows the strong support for trainee education throughout the entire Cleveland Clinic system.

When selecting our residents, we examine applications holistically. While a record of strong academic performance benefits any applicant looking for professional success, we also look for potential residents who have significant interests and skills outside of Radiology and medicine. We take pride in our diverse and interesting group of highly competent residents. We will continue working hard to make our program the best possible training experience for them and for our future trainees!

Kind regards,

Joseph Veniero, MD, PhD
Director, Residency Program
Imaging Institute

Message from the Chiefs

We are thrilled by your interest in our program. The radiology training offered by Cleveland Clinic incorporates every aspect a developing radiologist needs to succeed throughout the fellowship and beyond into their career, all while being a part of a supportive and welcoming environment in a diverse, affordable city.

The teaching begins with daily morning didactics. These lectures are given by our esteemed radiology faculty members encompassing all subspecialties, including physics. Teaching continues each day at the workstation where residents dictate all their own cases which are then reviewed in person by faculty. This transitions from going over each study as a junior resident to gradually covering finer details and more advanced diagnostic decisions as residents progress in their training.

As a quaternary treatment center, the volume and case variety at Cleveland Clinic is truly second to none. We have a referral base that encompasses patients local to Cleveland, throughout the United States, and internationally. This provides excellent exposure to both the bread-and-butter diagnoses as well as the zebras that ultimately become familiar.

In addition to the superb clinical training, there are a myriad of opportunities to enrich our education. Many of our residents engage in research with faculty, which has resulted in numerous presentations at national conferences and publications in prominent journals. For those wishing to gain even more exposure to research, we offer a research track that provides dedicated research time. Other dedicated tracks are also available including education and informatics. For those interested in nuclear radiology, we also offer the ability to complete sub-specialization during the fourth year of training.

Here at Cleveland Clinic, we strive to keep a healthy work-life balance for the residents. Every resident gets placed in one of four radiology teams, akin to the Harry Potter houses, which allows us to have numerous friendly competitions throughout the year including cases of the week, trivia events, and more. All residents are invited to a monthly happy hour event at a local Cleveland bar or restaurant which provides a chance to bond between classes. Plus, our Social Committee, which is designed to host even more resident lead events, is covered by department-provided funding. As a city overall, Cleveland is remarkably affordable with an incredible variety of things to do ranging from a national park, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, art museums, a zoo, an aquarium, a science center, multiple concert venues, multicultural restaurants, a major airport, and so much more.

Whether you want to end up in academia or private practice, our radiology residency has the resources and mentorship to help you reach your goals while being part of a tight knit collegial environment. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us directly at rcr@ccf.org. We love our program, and we would be happy to share why we think it is an excellent choice for any aspiring radiologist.

From the 2024-2025 Chiefs,

Application Process

The following minimum application requirements are to be forwarded to the Selection Committee:

• USMLE Step 1 transcript; COMLEX only will not suffice.
• USMLE Step 2 transcript.
• Medical school transcript.
• Three letters of recommendation - at least 1 from Radiology.
• Personal statement.

For the 2025 ERAS^® cycle, our program will be collecting and reviewing data from applicants’ supplemental ERAS applications. Completion of the standard MyERAS application is a requirement; completion of the supplemental ERAS application is optional.

The supplemental ERAS application is designed to help applicants share more information about themselves and assist our program in finding applicants that fit our program’s setting and mission. There is no cost to applicants and participation is optional. The supplemental ERAS application provides:

• Geographic preferences (by division and by urban or rural setting).
• Information about an applicant’s most meaningful experiences and other impactful life events, if applicable.
• Program signals.

Learn more about the AAMC supplemental ERAS application.

Complete applications must be received through ERAS by October 31, 2024. Applications submitted or completed after this date will not be considered. Applications outside the match will not be considered.

Tentative residency interview dates for the 2024-2025 interview season include Tuesdays and Wednesdays from October through January.

Before February 1, 2025, the following items are required to be ranked:

• Dean’s letter.
• ECFMG for international medical graduates.

Additional information

• An ACGME-accredited preliminary year must be completed prior to radiology training.
• Cleveland Clinic sponsors J-1 and H-1B visas; please contact Janice Bianco at biancoj@ccf.org or Mary Curry at currym@ccf.org with any visa-related questions.
• There is no cut-off date for graduation from medical school.

Visiting student rotations

• Applicants interested in audition/visiting rotations may apply via VSAS. For more information, please visit "How to Apply."

Other resources

• AAMC - Applying to Residencies with ERAS^®.
• Cleveland Clinic Graduate Medical Education.

Curriculum

Didactic

RADIOLOGY RESIDENT CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

• Conferences
  • Resident conferences - daily from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., follow one-two year curriculum. The conferences are almost exclusively staff-led with a mix of didactic and case-based content.
  • Resident Interesting Case Conference - every 4 weeks, includes lunch for attendees.
  • Brant & Helms Lecture Series - every Tuesday and Thursday at noon, is for PGY-2 residents and taught by senior residents.
  • Journal Club – monthly resident driven journal club, which focuses on discussing recent high impact articles within the radiology literature.
  • Imaging Grand Rounds – twice per month.
  • Health Care Economics – annual two-part series presented by the Imaging Institute Administrator.

• Physics Curriculum: The Cleveland Clinic Section of Medical Physics is composed of 7 ABR Board certified diagnostic physicists, sub-specialized in specific imaging modalities. This group provides a comprehensive physics curriculum for the Radiology Residents, including both didactic and laboratory sessions for hands-on learning. Our physicists are actively involved with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the Health Physics Society (HPS), as well as the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). They also offer a Medical Physics Residency Program, training future diagnostic medical physicists. This presents a unique training opportunity for clinical and technical residents to train and learn from one another, with staff mentors in both areas.

Clinical

• Residents undergo robust clinical training thanks to a high volume of diagnostic and procedural cases, cutting edge equipment and facilities, and a large number of subspecialized staff with over 3:1 staff to resident ratio, and routine performance feedback. Input from residents regarding how to improve rotation experiences is valued. Faculty education liaisons from each of the subspecialties routinely collaborate to maintain a current and innovative curriculum.
  • More than 2.7 million exams performed and interpreted annually
  • More than 100 subspecialty trained staff radiologists and 32 residents
  • On the Cleveland Clinic’s main campus location alone there are 12 CT units, including a 128-slice dual source and 256-slice scanners; 13 MR scanners up to three Tesla; PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and eight angiography suites including two biplane suites
  • On Main Campus in 2017, nearly 900K studies were performed, with 409K radiographs, 134K CTs, 120K mammograms, 97K MRIs, 61K ultrasounds, 32K vascular/interventional studies & procedures, 25K nuclear medicine studies, 9K PET/CTs, and 195 PET/MRIs
• Block Rotation Schedule

• Resident Rotation Personalization
  • 4th Year Mini-fellowships/Areas of Concentration (AOC) - 8 months of elective rotations are available for fourth year residents to use as Areas of Concentration or combined into 1-2 3-block long “mini-fellowships".
  • Combined Diagnostic Radiology/Nuclear Medicine (DR/NM) Pathway - The combined diagnostic radiology/nuclear medicine residency pathway allows accepted residents the opportunity to complete the equivalent of a nuclear medicine fellowship during their radiology residency. After successfully completing the program, residents who pass their Diagnostic Radiology Certifying Exam are then eligible to take the Nuclear Radiology Certifying Exam without additional training.
  • Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) - Up to 4 positions per year are available for accepted senior diagnostic radiology residents interested in pursuing further training in interventional radiology.
  • The Meaney Research Track is a long-term research pathway where selected candidates not only receive weekly dedicated research time, but also receive additional support to attend meetings, present research, etc.
  • The Meaney Education Track is a long-term education pathway for those interested in academic radiology. Residents apply in their second year of training and will receive dedicated time away from clinical duties to focus on educational activities and/or research.
  • The Information Technology Track is a long-term education and IT research pathway for those interested in making Radiology IT part of their radiology career. Junior residents who have worked with our IT section are eligible to apply in their second year of training and will receive training and support, and perform research within our departmental IT section.

Call/Night Float

• Call schedule created by the Chief Residents with resident input.
• Free meals when “on call.”
• In-house call: exclusively during R2 year.
  • INDEPENDENT call.
  • Shared with Integrated IR/DR residents.
  • Incorporates a night float month.
• IR Call: only while on IR rotation.
  • Recently changed to a weekday night float system to almost eliminate 24-hour call.
  • Shared call pool with integrated and independent (fellows) IR residents.
  • Fixed number of call days per rotation, decreased with seniority.
• Emergency Department Call: shared between R3 and R4 class.
  • Weighted to R3 year, but no call 12 weeks pre-CORE.
  • 24/7 real-time staff sign out.

Research

There are active ongoing research opportunities in all imaging sections and an abundance of research mentors from which to choose. Dedicated research time is provided to residents with active, approved projects. Time away and financial support for presentations at scientific meetings is available from both the GME office and our Imaging Institute, up to four days and $1,500 - $3,000 per year.

• Per ACGME guidelines, residents are required to participate in one quality improvement project and produce one scholarly activity during their four years of radiology residency. A multitude of research projects are available for those interested, headed by attending radiologists, many of whom are national experts in their fields of research.
• The Longitudinal Research Track is available for all residents to use on a project-by-project basis. Residents with approved research projects will receive a dedicated half-day of research time each week while on eligible rotations for research-related activities.

Thomas F. Meaney Research Day

The Imaging Institute hosts the annual Thomas F. Meaney Research Day to recognize the research and scholarly efforts of our trainees.

Begun in 2020, Meaney Research Day recognizes the achievements of our trainees, publicizing trainee research and scholarship throughout the Institute, and recognizing their worthy efforts in a competition. Cash prizes are awarded to the best oral presentations and posters, as judged by a panel of our staff and the guest speaker.

2024 Winners

Oral presentations

1st Prize ($500): Shruthi Suresh: Can MRI signal characteristics serve as a practical tool to help distinguish benign myxomas from myxoid sarcomas?
Co-authors: Karen Fritchie MD, Hakan Ilaslan MD

Honorable Mention ($300): Dan Schneider: Percutaneous Cryoablation, a Possible Management Strategy for Low-grade Chondrosarcoma?
Co-authors: Nathan W. Mesko MD, Hakan Ilaslan MD, Michael C. Forney MD

Honorable Mention ($300): Risabh Khurana: Self Reported Impact of Structured Cardiac MRI Reporting on Report Efficiency, Accuracy, and Standardization
Co-authors: Ben Alencherry MD, Yezan Salam, Neil Greenberg PhD, Haitham Fares, Lisa Schultz, Po-Hao Chen MD MBA, David Chen PhD, Christopher Nguyen PhD FSCMR, Richard Grimm DO, Deborah Kwon MD FSCMR

Poster presentations

1st Prize ($150): Ayana Dambaeva: Bronchial Artery Embolization For Thyroid Cancer Metastases in the Thorax
Co-authors: Christian Nasr MD, Charles Martin III MD

Honorable Mention ($100): Jordyn Shah: Posterior Interosseous Nerve Perineural Injections: Are They Effective in the Treatment of Radial Tunnel Syndrome?
Co-authors: Michael Forney MD

For detailed information, please contact Geri Durka, durkag@ccf.org.

Resident Life

Cleveland takes visitors by surprise. With all the amenities of a big city while maintaining the charm and benefits of a smaller city, Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have something fun for everyone.

Whether you are relaxing on the waterfront, indulging in the food or craft beer scenes, checking out one of the museums or the music scene, hiking or biking in one of the Metroparks or in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, or catching a game or Broadway show, you will always have something fun to do and great friends in Radiology to do them with.

Camaraderie and work-life balance are very important to us here at Cleveland Clinic Radiology. We hold regular events including post-work happy hours, barbeques, holiday parties, game nights, weekend golf outings, etc. We have an amazing House Staff Association, which hosts monthly events. These can range from discounted concert or Cleveland Browns tickets to rooftop happy hours or costume parties and gives you the opportunity to meet or catch up with residents from other departments.

• View current residents

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Benefits

Salary: Clinical Residents and Fellows

Please refer to the table below for new salary rates, effective May 16, 2024:

Academic funding

• AIRP tuition.
• Up to four days per meeting for poster, electronic, and oral presentations.
• $2,500 for posters and electronic exhibits.
• Up to $4,000 for oral presentations.
• $850 for books, electronic devices, and e-books annually.
• Personalized set of lead to include vest, kilt, and thyroid guard.
• $1,000/year for training-related educational expenses such as books, study materials, etc.

Flexible vacation policy

Residents receive 15 days of vacation, 1 week off around a major holiday, and 5 days of personal time off per academic year. Residents are not "assigned" vacation. Our unique policy allows residents to request vacation days throughout the year in as little as 1-day increments.

Moonlighting

Residents in good academic standing and with a full state license (paid for by the department) are eligible for internal moonlighting covering contrast reactions.

Maternity/paternity leave

Birthing mothers will receive 100% pay for up to 12 consecutive weeks. All parents (included fathers and adoptive parents) will receive 100% pay for up to 4 consecutive weeks.

Additional benefits

• Cleveland Clinic issued iPhone for entire length of training.
• Extensive resident library.
• Online resources, including StatDx, RadPrimer, E-Anatomy, Boardvitals.
• On-call meal allowance, recently increased.
• Excellent medical/dental/vision insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Employee Wellness Program.

Additional links

• Salary.
• Medical Insurance Benefits.
• Additional Benefits: maternity/paternity leave, on-call meals, emergency loans, etc.
• Cleveland Clinic Employer Assisted Housing Program.
• Living in Cleveland.

Current Residents

Below are those individuals currently enrolled in the Imaging Institute's Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program at Cleveland Clinic.

• Please email RadResCCF@ccf.org if you wish to contact any of the residents listed below.

Class of 2028

Ryan-Assaad El-Ghazal, MD Medical School: American University of Bierut Faculty of Medicine	Karanvir Grewal, MD Medical School: Wright State University Boonshaft School of Medicine	Brandon Henderson, MD Medical School: Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
William Holden, MD Medical School: Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont	Obada Kattih, MD Medical School: USF Health Morsani College of Medicine	Wyatt Lautt, MD Medical School: University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Samuel McCollum, MD Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine	Alexander Nelson, MD Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine	Christopher Sommer, MD Medical School: Eastern Virginia School of Medicine
David Taft, MD Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine

Class of 2027

Haya Asfour, MD Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine	Balkaran Grewal, DO Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine	Jared Mazurek, MD Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine
Zachary Mazurek, DO Medical School: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine	Andrew McCullen, MD Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine	Monik Patel, MD Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Rishika Polasani, MD Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine	Erik Seroogy, MD Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine	Joshua Streveler, MD Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Class of 2026

Class of 2025

Alumni

After residency

Our residents receive solid preparation for careers in both private practice and academia. Upon graduation, nearly all of our residents choose fellowship subspecialty training, and are accepted to top-notch training programs.

Radiology Fellowship opportunities at Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic offers imaging fellowships in nearly all subspecialties.

• Detailed fellowship program information is available.
• More information is available through our Radiology Alumni Association.

Recent graduates fellowship match list

See where our residents are after graduation.

* indicates current staff member at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, eRadiology, or Regional Radiology.

Class of 2024

Class of 2023

Class of 2022

Class of 2021

Class of 2020

Class of 2019

Class of 2018

Program Leadership

Joseph Veniero, MD, PhD
Radiology Residency Program Director; Abdominal Imaging Staff
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave., L10
Cleveland, OH 44195

Kavita Bhatt, MD
Radiology Residency Associate Program Director, Abdominal Imaging Staff
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave, L10
Cleveland, Ohio 44195

Michael Forney, MD
Radiology Residency Associate Program Director; Musculoskeletal Radiology Staff
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave., A21
Cleveland, Ohio 44195

Dustin Thompson, MD
Radiology Residency Associate Program Director, Interventional Radiology Residency Programs Program Director, Interventional Radiology Staff
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave., L10
Cleveland, OH 44195

Lauren Cunningham
Program Manager
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave., L10
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
cunninl3@ccf.org

Faculty