Fellowship in Diagnostic Neuroradiology

Section of Neuroradiology

Department of Diagnostic Radiology

Queen’s University

Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC)

I. Duration and scope of training

A one-year fellowship program in Diagnostic Neuroradiology.

This Fellowship program is offered to Canadians citizens, individuals with permanent resident status in Canada and to foreign medical graduates eligible for training in Ontario, Canada.

Fellowship Funding

Ia. Sponsored Funding – Postgraduate Training Agreement

Fellows receive external funding from a sponsor and in most cases, that sponsor is an overseas government or its embassy. The tuition rate is $100,000 CAD per annum. This does not include the salary and living expenses provided to the fellow, all paid by the sponsor. A formal training agreement between the sponsor and Queen’s University is required.

Postgraduate training agreements are currently in place between Queen’s University, Faculty of Health Sciences and sponsoring agencies from the following countries: Kuwait, Oman, Palestinian Authority (Gaza), Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Please refer to this link for more details: https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/postgraduate/prospective/admission/fellowships

Ib. Other Sponsored Funding Source

This applies to Fellows from countries other than those listed above and/or Canadian applicants. The candidate must be financially supported by an external organization (e.g.: hospital, university, charitable organization, scientific society) who will provide the Enrollment fees in the Program (tuition), and is responsible for the fellow’s salary and living expenses.

The tuition fee is $80,000 CAD per annum. A deposit of $5,000 CAD upon selection into the program, with the remainder due at the start of the Fellowship.

The intent of the fellowship is to ensure a highly specialized Post-graduate training program in Diagnostic Neuroradiology, including Head and Neck, in a large tertiary center with a large volume of neuro cases including an active stroke program, epilepsy, trauma, and cancer imaging.

II. Department of Diagnostic Radiology – Section of Neuroradiology

IIa. Kingston Health Sciences Centre

KHSC comprises two major facilities: Kingston General Hospital (KGH), large in-patient facility with 440 beds and the Hotel Dieu Hospital, the out-patient/clinic facility.

The Department of Diagnostic Radiology of KHSC delivers quality tertiary care imaging for a population of approximately 600,000 people in south east Ontario.

KHSC admits more than 22,000 inpatients per year and a total of 53,000 emergencies patients are assessed by our emergency department yearly.

As part of the School of Medicine at Queen's University, we also maintain a busy academic practice which includes a post-graduate training program in Diagnostic Radiology.

The Kingston General Health Research Institute (KGHRI) is a not-for-profit academic health research institute whose mission is to carry out the research strategy of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre on its Kingston General and Hotel Dieu Hospital sites. At KGHRI, more than 350 investigators are conducting innovative research with global impact in brain, heart, lung, neurological and blood disorders, allergy, digestive diseases and pain, among others.

IIb. Queen’s University

We are located on the campus of Queen’s University. Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading universities. The university has a proud history and strong traditions in leading research, excellence in teaching and student engagement. Through these strong traditions – combined with a picturesque campus, close-knit community and wide breadth of co-curricular opportunities – students who come to Queen’s have a transformative learning experience. Learners from more than 100 countries, along with every Canadian province and territory, come to Queen’s, comprising 17,250 undergraduate students, 3,746 graduate students, and 2,086 students from part-time studies and postgraduate medical education.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University comprises the schools of medicine, nursing and rehabilitation therapy. More than 540 full-time and 1,460 adjunct faculty members, and more than 700 general and research staff members are dedicated to accomplishing our respective missions to: advance the science and practice of medicine; advance learning and scholarship in the discipline and profession of nursing; and educate leaders by developing skills and competencies in rehabilitation. The university works closely with its hospital

partners in developing a shared vision for a research agenda and a shared approach to conducting research.

The Centre for Neuroscience Studies at Queen’s University offers a wide variety of research opportunities including a 3T MRI dedicated exclusively to research. Additionally, we maintain a close collaboration with the School of Computing at Queens mainly in the growing field of Artificial Intelligence.

IIc. The Neuroradiology Section

The Neuroradiology Section, composed of five (5) fellowship trained Neuroradiologists with over 75 years of combined experience, collaborates and works very closely with the Neurosciences Department which includes:

• Neurology (adult and pediatric);
• Neurosurgery;
• Neuropathology;
• Neuro-opthalmology.

Major strengths of our programs are:

• Large volume of cases encompassing wide varieties of pathologies in both adult and pediatric. Approximate 2019 Neuroradiology volumes: 12000 CT, 14500 MRI
• Regional Trauma Centre
• Strong Head and Neck program with large number of cases, weekly MCC round with ENT, Radiation Oncology and Pathology.
• Brain Tumour program including multidisciplinary bi-weekly MCC round. All our brain tumours cases are assessed using advanced imaging technique including PWI.
• Very active hyper-acute stroke program with imaging assessment using perfusion imaging and endovascular treatment with thrombectomy (EVT), including weekly rounds with the Vascular Neurologists Team.
• Weekly Neuropathology Rounds.
• Monthly Epilepsy Rounds.
• Q 3 months Genetic Rounds.
• Q 3 months REC – Radiology-Emergency Collaboration Rounds.
• Monthly Department Grand Rounds

IId. Technical Platform

The Department of Diagnostic Radiology is equipped with:

• Two MRI Units: one 3 Tesla and one 1.5 Tesla (both Siemens), two additional 1.5 MRI units are present off site (both Philips) and provide daily neuro and spine MRI exams.
• Three CT scanners multi-slice.
• Two single plane angiographic suites with rotational capabilities.
• Two Fluoroscopic units.
• Ultrasound units.

III. General Guidelines

The following guidelines are designed to clarify the Fellow’s job description.

The duties described are geared towards enriching the Fellow’s own experience and achievement and optimizing the function in the department.

The Diagnostic Neuroradiology Fellowship position does not in any way impact on the residents’ training, but actually enhances their exposure to neuroradiology with added discussion, case presentations and teaching sessions.

IIIa. Workload

The Diagnostic Neuroradiology fellowship is dedicated to imaging of the brain, spine, head & neck including all modalities. Procedures such as carotid doppler, lumbar puncture, myelography, lateral cervical puncture and diagnostic cerebral angiography are also included in the program.

At the conclusion of the training the fellow should be able to function autonomously in interpretation of CT, MRI and Ultrasound, as well as performing diagnostic angiography, lumbar puncture and occasionally myelography. The residents on the Neuro rotation have first access to LP/myelography.

The neuroradiology fellow should also function as a consultant to neurosurgeons, neurologists, head and neck surgeons, neuro-ophthalmologists, and radio-oncologists.

The approximate working hours are from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday-Friday.

The Fellow has to review the cases, extract the appropriate clinical pertinent information, compare with appropriate and pertinent previous imaging, if necessary. Each case will be reviewed with the Attending NR, as per our monthly schedule. The review/case discussion with the Fellow should not interfere with the residents’ review.

IIIb. Expected Daily Minimum Case Load

CT: 25-35 cases

MRI: 15-20 cases

Diagnostic angiogram: when requested

Carotid Doppler Ultrasound: 2 cases

IIIc. On Call

The fellow is on call one week out of four. The fellow is on call as 2nd call with the attending staff. The staff must be consulted prior to issuance of preliminary report (whenever deemed necessary) or prior to any procedures requested in order to discuss indications and techniques.

In addition, the Neuro Fellow, when on call, is charged with completing the routine evening “check in” with the residents.

On weekends, the fellow will review all neuro emergencies (CT and MRI), provide a preliminary report and pre-dictated the cases twice a day; once a day, likely in pm; all the pre-dictated cases will be reviewed with the Attending Neuroradiologist on call prior to issuing final reports.

IIId. Academic and Teaching Activities

The fellow participates actively in the teaching and academic activities of the department preparing cases and/or presentation for weekly rounds.

The attendance to the following rounds is mandatory:

• Neuropathology Rounds;
• Stroke Rounds;
• Tumour Board MCC;
• Neurosurgery Rounds;
• Head & Neck MCC Rounds;
• Neuroscience Rounds;
• Epilepsy Rounds;
• NeuroRad Club;
• Neuroradiology Teaching to Radiology Residents, depending on the level of training, the fellow would contribute to Resident Academic half-days. The degree of involvement will be developed in consultation with the Residency Program Director.
• Diagnostic Radiology Grand-Rounds;
• REC - Radiology-Emergency Collaboration Rounds.

Attendance to other rounds is not compulsory, it is encouraged when no conflict of schedule is present.

During the fellowship, the candidate is actively encouraged to participate in at least one research project under the guidance of one of the Neuroradiologist attendings.

The project must be discussed and approved in advance by the fellowship director, who has to be available for monthly meetings with the candidate and NR attending to ensure appropriate monitoring of the progress of the project till completion.

At the end of the fellowship the research work should be the object of a manuscript submission to a peer-reviewed journal, the submission should be completed before the end of the fellowship.

Additionally, the content of the project should be submitted to a national or international meeting either as oral presentation, poster or education exhibit.

The Fellow may be asked to contribute a presentation at the Annual Department of Diagnostic Radiology Research Day.

IIIe. Vacation and Conferences

Vacations: 20 working days

Conferences: 5 working days.

IIIf. Feedback and Evaluation

The fellow is evaluated on a daily basis by the attending Neuroradiology staff. A formal verbal and written evaluation is given to the fellow every six (6) months by the Neuroradiology Section Head.

IIIg. Facilities Provided

Workstation and Internet Access.

Free online journal access via Queen’s University.

IV. Requirements for Consideration

The candidates for the position must have completed their specialty in Diagnostic Radiology and they must want to improve their knowledge of Diagnostic Neuroradiology.

IVa. The following documentation is required:

• Letter of intent from the candidate
• Three (3) letters of reference from previous or current supervisor/mentor/professor who worked closely with candidate
• Interview either in person or online with NR selection committee, the committee will include all the Neuroradiologists, one senior Radiology resident and one Radiologist from RPC
• CV
• Copy of medical degree (with English translation)
• Applicant’s mailing address
• Proof of English proficiency
• Copy of Specialist Certification (SC) or MCCEE part I if trainee does not have SC
• Proof of Completion of radiology residency
• Payment of Enrollment fees ($5000 upon selection completed and offer of fellowship received, and $75,000 at the beginning of the fellowship)
• Proof of salary/grant received or to be received from country/university of origin
• Ontario Training license (CPSO)
• Proof of Malpractice Insurance

IVb. For more information, please contact:

Dr. Donatella Tampieri, MD, FRCPC

Neuroradiology Fellowship Director

Section Head, Neuroradiology and Head & Neck Imaging

Donatella.Tampieri@queensu.ca