Year One

The initial portion of the first year of the residency in Diagnostic Radiology is spent in the Diagnostic Department at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH) with month-long rotations in the core areas of General Radiology and Ultrasound/Computed Tomography. During this period, the resident works with staff to gain basic experience in plain film interpretation, fluoroscopic procedures, and the cross-sectional imaging modalities of Ultrasound and CT. These rotations provide the necessary experience to allow the resident to assume call responsibility after 6 months. Staff is readily available for consultation on all call cases. Later in the first year, the resident has rotations in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Nuclear Medicine.

Year Two

During the second year, the resident spends several months in Interventional Radiology. The basic rotations of General Radiology, Ultrasound/CT, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, and Interventional Radiology constitute the core curriculum at SBCH and continue throughout the residency.

With increased experience, the resident gradually assumes greater responsibility and functions more independently in performing procedures. The staff continues to double-read all examinations and directly oversees all procedures. In the second year of residency, residents spend one month in outpatient radiology at the Sansum- Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic and begin rotations in Pediatric Radiology at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. A month of the second year is designated for the residents to undertake a research project.

Years Three and Four

Third-year residents attend the six-week course at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington, D.C. and spend a second month at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in addition to the core rotations at SBCH. During the fourth year, residents spend a month at the University of Southern California in musculoskeletal radiology and a month in obstetrical ultrasound in Perinatology Department. An elective month is also provided.

Radiation Physics

A full-time radiation physicist is on the staff of the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara. During the four years, a didactic and laboratory course in Radiology Physics and Radiation Biology is given at weekly intervals.