Interventional Radiology Visiting Observership Program

Our IR physicians perform a wide range of procedures across all imaging modalities (both vascular and non-vascular interventions use fluoroscopy and cross-sectional imaging). Examples of cases that a visiting observer might see (with actual cases depending on patient care needs and the observership program duration) include:

• Advanced Biliary Interventions: We have a busy advanced hepatobiliary practice (including biliary drainages, cholangioplasty, metallic stenting, biopsy, and management of biliary leaks) and collaborates closely with the advanced endoscopy group at BIDMC (which has the region's largest ERCP/EUS practice) and the Pancreatic Cancer Center.
• Arterial and Venous Interventions: We perform a wide range of general arterial and venous interventions, including IVC filter placement and retrieval (including of complex embedded filters), treatment of DVT (thrombolysis, angioplasty, and stenting), treatment of arterial and venous stenosis (angioplasty and stenting), and treatment of arterial bleeding (such as traumatic and gastrointestinal bleeding). We also treat pulmonary AVMs and perform bronchial artery embolizations and sclerotherapy of adult venous malformations.
• Cross-sectional Interventions: We staff the cross-sectional IR physician rotation, which includes routine CT- and US-guided biopsies and drainages (in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis).
• Endocrine Interventions: We also have a busy endocrine-related practice, including adrenal vein sampling, ectopic parathyroid angiography and embolization, thyroid biopsies, and benign adrenal adenoma ablation.
• Enteric Interventions: We routinely place percutaneous feeding tubes, including primary gastrostomy, gastrojejunostomy, and jejunostomy tube placement and their subsequent management.
• Gynecologic Interventions: We perform embolization for the elective treatment of uterine fibroids, pelvic congestion syndrome, and for the emergent treatment of uncontrolled post-partum hemorrhage. We also can perform fallopian tube recanalization procedures.
• Hemodialysis Care and Vascular Access: Through our partnership with transplant surgery and nephrology, we perform procedures at the hospital-affiliated outpatient Advanced Vascular Care (AV Care) Center, which manages hemodialysis access care for patients from several different outpatient dialysis centers. This includes tunneled catheter placement/removal, fistulograms, balloon angioplasty, stenting, mechanical thrombectomy/thrombolysis, and venograms. We also perform fistula and dialysis interventions on inpatients and for cases that require higher levels of care.
• Hepatic Interventions: We work closely with our Liver Transplant Center and as key participants in BIDMC's Liver Tumor Board/Clinic, and perform advanced hepatic interventions including liver biopsies (percutaneous and transjugular), transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and associated procedures (TIPS/BRTO), and post-transplant interventions (arterial and venous angioplasty/stenting).
• Interventional Oncology: We have an active Interventional Oncology practice, performing transarterial chemoembolization (with conventional lipiodol and drug-eluting beads) for primary and secondary liver tumors, and CT/US-guided tumor ablation of liver, kidney, lung, bone, adrenal, and soft tissue tumors using various ablation technologies (radiofrequency, microwave systems, and cryoablation).
• Urologic Interventions: We perform percutaneous nephrostomies (and nephroureteral stents) and suprapubic catheter placement for acute urinary obstruction, as well as for lithotripsy guidance in the management of urinary stone disease.

Observership program participants will attend daily morning rounds, multidisciplinary conferences (e.g., Liver Tumor Board, Pancreas Tumor Board, TACE conference, Dialysis Access conference), as well as a weekly didactic session tailored to IR fellows and a monthly section Mortality and Morbidity conference. Our faculty and fellows will teach and guide the trainee in an observatory role on the IR service. The trainee will not have clinical work or patient contact.

• Interventional Radiology: practicing community and academic radiologists, residents, fellows, and medical students with an interest in image-guided interventions.
• Other specialties: clinical physicians in the surgical and medical disciplines of oncology, GI, transplant, urology, and acute care surgery.
• The rotation is designed to immerse observers in the BIDMC-IR experience through attending morning rounds, case discussions, and real-time observation of cases. It is not designed to support pre-residency endeavors for aspiring applicants. The program cannot support research efforts or issue letters in support of medical residency applications.

International observers will obtain their own tourist Visa. A J1 Visa sponsorship is not offered from the BIDMC for this course of study.

• $1,500.00/month
• Tuition is payable on confirmation of acceptance
• Please make checks payable to: Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP) at BIDMC
• Please note: This fee is non-refundable as we have a commitment to not overbook candidates to maximize each observation experience.

Observerships are offered during the academic year for one- to six-month periods. Along with your completed application, please include your CV, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation.

Mail or email your application and correspondence to:

Jeffrey Weinstein, MD
Observership Director
Section of Interventional Radiology
Department of Radiology
1 Deaconess Road
Boston, MA 02215
Email