Frequently Asked Questions

How many residents are accepted per class?

Four to six residents are accepted each year. We currently have 23 residents in the program (including ESIR).

Is the residency program accredited by the ACGME?

Yes, the program is ACGME accredited.

How do GW residents perform on the American Board of Radiology Core exam?

GW residents perform exceptionally well on the Core exam with 100% pass rate over the past 5 years (2019-2023).

What percent of GW residents go on to fellowships?

All of our resident choose to pursue fellowships, generally getting their first or second choice. Residents frequently stay for Breast Imaging and Interventional Radiology. Please see Current & Former Residents for a list of recent fellowship placements.

Does GW offer fellowships?

Yes, GW offers fellowships in NeuroradiologyCombined Body & MSK ImagingBreast Imaging and Interventional Radiology (ESIR resident given preference).  Our partner institution, Children's National Hospital, offers a fellowship in Pediatric Radiology. GW's Neuroradiology and CNH's Pediatric Radiology fellowships are ACGME-accredited. 

How is physics taught?

While some discussion of physics is integrated into lectures and daily read-out, formal radiology physics teaching occurs in the winter and spring prior to the ABR board exam. In addition to didactic lectures, this past year (2022-2023) our R3s participated in an online and in-person Core Physics Review course ran by Dr. Ram Srinivasan, the co-author of Radiology Simplified. This is funded by the residency.

What is the call/night float schedule and how is it distributed?

We use a night float system with residents taking independent weekday and weekend night call as well as covering weekend day shifts. R3 and R4 residents also cover a semi-elective "short-call" shift from 5 PM to 9 PM 7 days/week which serves as internal moonlighting. "Weeks" of nights are composed of 6 shifts running from Sunday-Friday from 7:00 PM - 8 AM. Weekend, day call shifts are 7 AM - 5 PM and Saturday night shifts go from 7:00 PM - 7 AM.

Resident generally take 12 weeks of night call during their residency, with 6 weeks during the second year and the remainder divided between 3rd and 4th year. Weekend day and Saturday night shifts are similarly distributed between classes. The department is in compliance with the ACGME and institutional work hour rules, and these are regularly tracked by the department and the GME office at GW.

IR (home-pager) call is split between residents on service with the IR fellow and ESIR residents taking the bulk of call. R1s and R2s generally take 1 week/year during their 4-week rotation to gain experience and exposure.

Please refer to the Education & Curriculum section for explanation of 1st year buddy call and plain film call.

Type of Call R1 R2 R3 R4
Plain Film Call 3-4 weekends  
Buddy Call 4 weekends  
Night Float   6 weeks 6 weeks
Weekend Call  

5-7 Sat Nights

10-14 Weekend Days

2-4 Sat Nights

4-6 Weekend Days

1-3 Sat Nights

2-4 Weekend Days

VIR Call Variable (split among residents on rotation)
Pediatric Call   4 call shifts 4 call shifts 4 call shifts

 

Are there ultrasound technologists overnight/on-call?

Yes! We have 24/7 in-house ultrasound technologist coverage. Residents are not responsible for scanning patients while on-call.

Are there funds for residents to attend meetings?

In general, residents have expenses covered for national meetings at which they present a paper or poster (with department chair approval). On average, residents typically attend 2 national meetings during the course of their training, but may also attend other local or regional radiology meetings/courses. Being in D.C. means that many national conferences are held locally or nearby, and residents can attend these meetings. Many of our residents attend the ACR Annual meeting (which is held in DC every year). 

Is there a USMLE Step 2 score cut-off to be granted an interview?

There is no minimum USMLE Step 2 score.