Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Department of Radiology and Molecular Imaging offers a Breast Imaging Fellowship. The fellowship participates in the MATCH via the NRMP conducting interviews from January – March.
The Breast Imaging Fellowship encompasses 32 weeks of breast imaging, 12 weeks of elective (body, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology or more time in breast), 4 weeks of general radiology, 4 weeks of CME/vacation and up to 5 interview days. There is currently a four-week requirement for general (plain film) radiology which does include five weekends, one of which is a holiday weekend. You do not work on the holiday. There is no call. The fellowship positions are classified as non-accredited junior staff training positions through credentialing that offers an Oakland University, William Beaumont School of Medicine appointment to all trainees. Thus, prior to entering this program, applicants must have successfully completed a residency in an ACGME accredited program in Diagnostic Radiology.
We are approved to accept two Breast Imaging Fellows per year. The Breast Imaging Division is structured so that each trainee has dedicated time with their assigned faculty members. Each fellow will be assigned with different faculty each day; this faculty provides the fellow with their undivided attention. There are more than enough cases/procedures to allow successful training for two fellows. The fellows are not expected to spend time teaching and supervising residents. The fellows will have priority on the breast MRI service. The faculty consists of 17 fellowship trained radiologists, 11 of whom spend most of their time at the main campus.
Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Breast Imaging is an ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence and performs 80,000 screening and diagnostic mammograms per year at five imaging centers. The fellows' training is at the Main Campus which performs most of the interventional
procedures with approximate annual totals of:
- Breast MRI Tumor protocol 1070
- Breast MRI without contrast (implant evaluation) 70
- Breast MRI guided core biopsy 106
- Stereotactic core biopsies 1100
- Ultrasound guided core biopsies 1200
- Localization procedures ( RFID seed placement under mammographic and ultrasonic guidance and traditional wire localizations) 550
- Full breast screening US with the GE ABUS Invenia system >1000
- Percutaneous lymph node biopsies 100
- US guided abscess drains 60
The Breast Center at Royal Oak is a dedicated space, with a GE 3T magnet within the breast suite for breast imaging and procedures. Fellows and residents have individual working space and workstations. Social distancing is easily accomplished.
Equipment includes GE Pristina tomography, Hologic Dimensions tomography, upright and prone Hologic tomographic biopsy units, Philips iU22 ultrasound units, GE ABUS Invenia, GE 3T magnet with Sentinelle eight channel coil and biopsy system, Dynacad for
MRI, Suros biopsy device.
The clinical service is divided into three rotations: Diagnostic Clinic with US guided procedures, Stereotactic biopsies and Breast MRI/mammographic localizations. All rotations include screening mammography and screening breast ultrasound. If a fellow feels a need for more experience in a specific area during the second half of their fellowship, that area will be prioritized. For example, one fellow wanted more opportunities to do more breast MRI biopsies and therefore, she was included on all MR biopsies even if she was on another rotation.
The fellows attend and may present at the following teaching conferences:
- Weekly Breast Tumor Board (with CME credit)
- Weekly multidisciplinary clinic conferences
- Monthly Breast division journal club
- Monthly Breast division radiology-pathology correlation conference
The fellows also receive a dedicated series of lectures on topics relevant to the practicing dedicated breast imager, such as MQSA.
New this year, we became a member of the Midwest Breast Imaging Fellowship Consortium which is comprised of ~20+ institutions. Lectures are provided every Wednesday at noon and quarterly Journal Clubs at 5:30pm (all via Teams). At the end of the year, the consortium hosts “The Fellows Showcase” where fellows can share their academic work by a short 15–20-minute presentation, hosted 5:30-6:30 EST on Teams.
The fellows are encouraged to undertake a research project and present it at a national meeting. If the fellows are involved in research, then protected research time can be arranged.
Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital has a busy breast surgery service with four breast surgeons and an internist specializing in breast health and disease who care for approximately 600 new breast cancers each year. We are a major referral site for breast cancer surgery and treatment and read over 300 outside film consultations per year. We see a wide variety of common and unusual pathologies. Beaumont also offers a competitive Breast Surgery Fellowship through the Society of Surgical Oncology Match. The surgical fellow rotates in breast imaging for one month, allowing for an opportunity for our fellows to interact and have peer-to-peer growth.
Our fellows have gone on to work in busy private and hybrid academic practices and have had no trouble finding positions. Several have stayed local and others accepted positions in other states.
Finally, the Breast radiologists are a collegial group. There is open, free collaboration on cases. We recognize that “life happens” and we take care of each other and pitch in when difficulties arise.
We are confident that you will receive an extensive and in-depth experience to prepare you for your career in Breast Imaging.