Mission

The mission of the NCC Radiology Residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) is to provide innovative patient-centered care, while advancing military medical readiness, health care quality, education and research through advanced imaging. To that end we provide state-of-the-art training in radiology and the radiological sciences, wellness, in-garrison and deployment-related skills and leadership resulting in resilient graduates with well balanced experience as military radiologists across all sub-specialties and all imaging modalities.

Vision

Our vision is to be a global leader in radiology education and training focused on all practice environments across the spectrum of military operations and optimized for military medical readiness.

Aims

• Train military radiologists: We prepare our trainees with a robust didactic, case-based and clinical curriculum delivered by sub-specialty subject matter experts who model ideal military medical officer behavior as mentoring faculty.
• Develop balanced leaders: In order to excel in junior leadership positions after graduation, residents are trained in leadership, communication, and healthcare administration in addition to clinical radiology.
• Inspire institutional citizenship and purpose: We encourage active service and participation on committees, working groups and specialty societies at the residency, departmental, hospital and national level. We encourage participation in individually chosen specialized pathways for professional growth and fulfillment. We value resident involvement in non-clinical activities such military unique curriculum, interprofessional teams and research.

The Diagnostic Radiology residency has a well-defined academic curriculum which is cross referenced with the American Board of Radiology emphasis areas.  This curriculum is reviewed annually for areas of improvement.

Twice daily protected educational time for faculty-led didactic lectures, case-based conferences, multi-disciplinary meetings, resident-led lectures, physics and wellness activities.

Thirteen 4-week blocks throughout each academic year with a range of core, external and elective rotations. Core and outside rotations each academic year including a mix of core sub-specialty rotations in:

• Cardiothoracic Imaging
• Musculoskeletal Imaging
• Pediatric Imaging
• Neuroradiology
• Abdominal Imaging
• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• Interventional Radiology
• Breast Imaging
• Trauma Imaging
• Radiological Pathologic correlation.

Repeat core rotations for “mini fellowship” experience, Informatics, 3D printing, Pediatric Subspecialty Imaging, Research, NIH, and more.

Weekday evening call (short call), weekend/holiday day call and night float coverage.

We are a truly tri-service program with service specific faculty mentors leading professional development sessions and acting as faculty mentors. The academic curriculum incorporates topics related to military professional development and the role of the radiologist within the Navy/Defense Health Agency. These lectures are presented by select faculty with emphasis on the experience as a radiologist in the diverse clinical roles within Navy Medicine. Presentations are included on deployed medicine opportunities. Professional and career development lectures are included as part of this curriculum.

• ACR American Institute of Radiological Pathology (AIRP)
• All Diagnostic Radiology Residents are required to maintain certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) throughout their residency training.

• Contrast reaction
• Hands-on Interventional Radiology
• Breaking bad news and difficult patient and provider interactions emphasizing interpersonal and interprofessional communication skills

• TeamSTEPPS training
• Access to Lean Six Sigma Training
• Basic Healthcare Administrators Course

Residents must participate in scholarship and are trained in research design and evidence-based radiology by medical library liaison staff. Residents are required to publish or present their results at institutional, local, regional, national or international meetings. Residents must also submit at least one abstract to a national meeting.

Residents participate in quality improvement and patient safety reporting conferences monthly, peer learning conferences, and root cause analysis.

Residents are supported in pursuing required and elective service-specific professional development.

• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
• Children's National Medical Center
• University of Maryland
• National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute
• Washington Hospital Center
• George Washington University Hospital
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• District of Columbia

Medical student rotations are typically 4-weeks long with standardized rotation schedules to allow for shadowing in core reading rooms and elective reading rooms and interventional experience in the final week. There are organized case-based medical student lectures led by an associate program director directing the clerkship.

Interviews are virtual and semi-structured with standardized questions delivered by a panel of program leadership, clinical faculty and residents. Scheduling details and document submission organized through the Program Coordinator.

Program trainees take the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Qualifying (Core) exam during residency in their 36th month of training. The Core exam is offered twice annually in June and November. After passing the Core and completing PGY5, graduates will take the ABR Certifying Exam approximately 15 months after graduation from residency. The certification exam is currently computer-based but will transition to a virtual oral exam format in 2028. All new residency applicants will take the oral exam for their final board certification exam.

Nearly every graduate medical education program offered in the Military Health System has a training program at WRNMMC or a nearby NCR facility. This allows our residents to participate as educators for other GME programs in a multi-disciplinary fashion. Residents also lead internal residency morning lectures 2-3 times a week.

Given that WRNMMC shares a base with the Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences (USUHS), our residents have unique and direct access to participate in undergraduate medical education (UME). Additionally, our residents have opportunities for medical student mentorship through the USUHS radiology interest group.

We have sub-specialty trained faculty in all subspecialties to include:

• Cardiothoracic Imaging
• Abdominal Imaging
• Neuroradiology
• Musculoskeletal Imaging
• Breast Imaging
• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• Interventional Radiology
• Pediatric Radiology

Our residents complete semi-annual individualized learning plans and review with self-selected faculty mentors. Residents also have access to service-specific mentors throughout the NCR.

Robust wellness curriculum for team building and resiliency with monthly resident-led activities including yoga, holiday cookie decorating, pumpkin painting, coffee and donuts with a visit from the hospital service dogs and even planting succulents. Semi-annual off-sites for fun and team-building in addition to a transparent residency business meeting fostering resident participation and ownership of their program.