EDUCATION  CHALLENGES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS UCSF Training Programs 2021-2022

By Soonmee Cha, MD

Iam so proud of the resiliency and dedication of all our trainees. Despite the challenging environment of 20212022, our trainees had a tremendous year punctuated by learning and achievement. They provided excellent clinical care with a focus on professionalism, safety and creating a positive experience for our patients at UCSF hospitals.

Residency Program

In July 2021, we welcomed the Class of 2025, an outstanding group of of 15 diagnostic radiology residents and one integrated interventional resident. This past July the class of 2026 joined us. We were pleased to welcome 14 diagnostic radiology residents and 1 integrated interventional resident. I am amazed to see how our newest trainees have grown, both as people and as physicians. They have embraced learning and have moved from being beginners in medical imaging to becoming skilled colleagues who have gained confidence in their diagnoses and work effectively with our fellows and attendings to support the highest standards of patient care. I appreciate the attention, dedication and skill that our newest recruits bring to their duties.

Graduation 2021 was again virtual. However, the many people who attended were moved by the meaningful ceremony acknowledging the accomplishments of our graduates. Friends and relatives logged in from across the country to celebrate our trainees with us. The 2022 commencement offered the opportunity for a safe in-person gathering in compliance with UCSF’s updated policies.

In late 2022 our newly elected chiefs began their duties. I am pleased to welcome Masis Isikbay, MD, Adam Yen, MD, and Kevin Terashima, MD, to their role as 2022-23 chiefs. We are already grateful for their enthusiasm and appreciate their commitment to our program.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the outgoing chief residents: Joelle Harwin, MD, Kevin Sweetwood, MD, and Andrew Taliaferro, MD, for their outstanding service to our residents, program and department.

This was the ninth consecutive year that our clinical training program has ranked first amongst the top-rated diagnostic radiology residency programs in the nation according to Doximity’s 2022-2023 Residency Navigator. We were very proud to achieve this high ranking once again.

Leadership Team

I rely on Jason Talbott, MD, associate program director, head of the Residency Selection Committee and ZSFG residency site director for his leadership during the recruitment process. Each year, Jason structures the residency selection process with an emphasis on fairness, transparency and creating an optimal experience for those visiting us. In 2022, applicant interviews were once again in a virtual setting, but with the support of the entire team the process was a smooth and successful one. We matched with 14 stellar trainees that will join us in July 2024.

I am also grateful to Jason for his advocacy. His goal is to bring each resident to their highest level of performance and our residents are grateful for his experience and training, which he readily shares with them.

I would also like to thank Jesse Courtier, MD, for his 14 years of service as site director at Mission Bay. He has been a role model for our residents at that site and I would like to thank him for his outstanding service. Matthew Zapala, MD, is our new Mission Bay site director and is already providing great value to our Mission Bay residency rotations.

Education Team

Our extraordinary team of education professionals work under the direction of Melinda Parangan-Chu, our administrative director: Sora Kang, Mike Leon, Dave Stewart, Sandria Wong and Samira Zebarjadian. Each one of them is an important asset to the educational programs we offer, and I am appreciative of their work. This year we bid farewell to Cindy Flores Gaytan who accepted a new role as the education systems manager in the UCSF Office of Graduate Medical Education. Cindy was an integral part of our programs for over 10 years. She cared deeply about our residents and was there for them every step of the way from recruitment to commencement. We wish her well in her exciting new role at UCSF.

Fellowship Program

In July 2021, 42 new promising new fellows and six clinical instructors entered our training program, and in July 2022 we welcomed 39 fellows and three clinical instructors. It has been exciting to have them with us as they moved forward in their chosen subspecialties and continued the process of selecting future directions for their careers.

A big thank you to our fellowship program directors and assistant directors, who are an important resource for our fellows:

■ Director of Fellowship Programs: Spencer Behr, MD

■ Abdominal Imaging/Ultrasound: Derek Sun, MD, and Mark Sugi, MD

■ Breast Imaging: Elissa Price, MD

■ Cardiac & Pulmonary Imaging: Kimberly Kallianos, MD

■ Interventional Radiology: Evan Lehrman, MD, and Vishal Kumar, MD

■ Musculoskeletal Radiology: Rina Patel, MD

■ Neuroradiology: Yi Li, MD, and Andreas Rauschecker, MD, PhD

■ Neurointerventional Radiology: Matthew Amans, MD

■ Molecular Imaging & Therapeutics: Miguel Pampaloni, MD, PhD, and Courtney Lawhn Heath, MD

■ Pediatric Radiology: Matthew Zapala, MD

Under the leadership of Dr. Behr, the program directors meet quarterly to discuss ways to improve the fellowship training programs. The fellowship educational fund, fellows social, chief fellow and fellow council are some ideas implemented since the formation of this group. They strive to bring uniformity and equity, and to streamline policies and educational standards across all subspecialties.

We look forward to a great 2023 and are excited to see what the future holds for our trainees.

Soonmee Cha, MD, is a professor in residence of Radiology and Neurological Surgery, vice-chair of Education, program director for the Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program and associate program director for the integrated interventional Radiology Residency.