Application Process
The Saint Louis University Department of Radiology offers a five-year fully-accredited residency program in interventional radiology following a yearlong clinical internship.
Application Requirements
Seven residency positions are offered each year. We participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and accept applications only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
American medical students may apply through their dean's office. International medical students should apply through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG); you may participate in this service regardless of your year of graduation.
To be considered, your application must include United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, three current letters of recommendation (including those from your program director and/or chairman), visa status (Saint Louis University sponsors "H" and "J" visas) and a valid ECFMG certificate, as well as the other materials required by ERAS.
Our application deadline is November 1.
Interviews
Interviews are held in the faculty office suite in the Department of Radiology at the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. You will receive an email before your interview date letting you know when to arrive. Continental breakfast will be available.
You will likely interview with the program director or assistant program director, two additional faculty members and the senior chief resident. In addition to your interviews, there will be a department tour, and you will have lunch with residents. You will also have the opportunity to attend one of our daily noon conferences. The day generally concludes around 2 p.m. A dinner is usually arranged the night before the interview day to get to know our residents and program in a more casual setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are looking for candidates who can handle the challenge of a diagnostic radiology residency and who are a pleasure to work with. Radiology isn't an easy field — you must have both broad and in-depth knowledge of many different fields as well as communication skills to interact with your clinical colleagues. Candidates must have shown an ability to master the material presented in medical school and be comfortable communicating that knowledge in an effective way.
The bottom line is that we spend a big portion of our lives at work and we want to recruit individuals who make the workday enjoyable and fun.
We currently have 28 diagnostic radiology residents.
We have about 25 full and part-time radiology faculty at our flagship teaching hospitals, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. All of our faculty are fellowship-trained and board certified. Residents also receive instruction from subspecialty-trained radiologists while rotating through the VA Saint Louis Health Care System and St. Mary's Hospital.
Saint Louis University residents have protected time daily at noon and 4 p.m. to attend conferences. These conferences include didactic lectures, case conferences, follow-up conferences, journal club and morbidity and mortality. Additionally, numerous interdisciplinary conferences are available for residents to attend. Lectures are available for live streaming and later viewing via a protected website. The Program Evaluation Committee is responsible for maintaining a comprehensive diagnostic radiology curriculum for our residents which is refreshed yearly.
Rotations last four weeks, allowing for 13 rotations per year. First-year residents are given early exposure to a variety of rotations so that by the end of the second year, residents have rotated through nearly every section of radiology. View an example of a rotation schedule.
Currently, the third and fourth-year residents cover the senior overnight call at a frequency of q6-q13 during their eligible call period. The third-year residents are out of the call pool for approximately two to three months prior to the ABR core exam to allow time to study. The fourth-year residents do not take call during their final two weeks of residency to prepare for fellowship.
Second-year residents cover junior call, which includes short evening call shifts on Mondays through Fridays and 24-hour overnight call shifts on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, second-year residents participate in a night float system on Mondays through Fridays. This schedule allows two residents to be on call every night.
The residents have a voice in how overnight call is distributed and, thus far, have voted to continue to have a hybrid 24-hour call system. The residents appreciate the flexibility of making individual call switches using the current system. Additionally, the residents maintain exposure to a variety of modalities by getting continuous exposure to call cases throughout the year.
The Saint Louis University Department of Radiology has fellowship programs in PET-CT and vascular interventional radiology. The limited number of fellowships is a strength of the program, allowing residents to work one on one with faculty and technologists. Because of this added responsibility, our residents are well prepared for their fellowships and future careers.
Nearly all Saint Louis University radiology residents take a fellowship position after completing their radiology residency. In recent years, residents have taken fellowship positions in all radiology subspecialties, including vascular interventional radiology, musculoskeletal radiology, pediatric radiology, neuroradiology, body imaging, MRI and women’s imaging. View a list of fellowship positions obtained by our past residents and learn more about our current residents.
Residents of all levels are entitled to 15 days of paid vacation per academic year, which can be scheduled as one-week blocks or any number of days. Thirty days of maternity leave and one week of paternity leave can also be taken. Additional time off may be arranged for conferences, courses and interviews.
One hundred percent health insurance coverage is available through the University Health Plan for all residents as well as immediate family/eligible dependents. Dental and vision insurance can be purchased at a reasonable cost. Optional life insurance, long-term disability and 403(b) plans are also available. We also provide professional liability indemnity for all residents on duty. Additional information regarding resident benefits can be found on the Graduate Medical Education website.
Parking is available adjacent to the hospital at no cost. Residents are offered a free gym membership at Saint Louis University’s Simon Recreation Center and can park in the adjacent garage at no cost.
In addition to the general benefit package for residents at Saint Louis University, our residents receive a free subscription to STATdx. Third-year residents receive a free subscription to RADprimer, which is also available to the other residents at a discounted group rate. A meal allowance is provided while on call. $500 is available yearly for books and other educational purchases for each resident. In addition, each third-year resident is provided funds equal to the amount of AIRP tuition (most recently $2,100) plus an additional $300, which can be used to attend AIRP or for additional educational purchases. Lastly, an additional $700 is available through an internal SLU fund (the Shields Fund) for each resident once during his/her four-year residency. The radiology department has a privately stocked resident library with key radiology texts. Residents also have access to the Saint Louis University Medical Center Library. The library has several radiology journals and texts, including a free electronic version of Fundamentals of Diagnostic Radiology by Brant and Helms.
Yes. Each resident participates in a scholarly activity during their residency. The director of resident research for our department compiles the various departmental research projects and helps link these projects with interested residents.
Interested residents are also encouraged to teach and have a variety of opportunities. These include the medical school radiology rotation, junior radiology resident instruction and interdisciplinary conferences.
Yes. Internal moonlighting is available to second through fourth-year residents on the weekends. Compensation is competitive.