Fellowship Details & Requirements

In addition to the GME office's requirements, eligibility requirements include but are not limited to: 

• Trainee must have completed at least 1 previous year of Neuroradiology fellowship training.  
• Trainee must have also completed an ACGME approved (or equivalent) residency training program in Diagnostic Radiology.  

Each application is reviewed by the program director of Oncologic Neuroradiology and Head and Neck Imaging with the consultation of other faculty members in the department. Top applicants, chosen based on their credentials and letters of recommendation, are invited for a formal interview. 

Interviews will take place over a half day and include participation of the department staff. Applicants will have the opportunity to meet with faculty and current fellows. The final selection of fellows is made in a series of joint meetings with all staff members. 

A sample contract for prospective trainees may be viewed here. 

Applications will be accepted for academic year 2026-2027 starting November 1, 2024 (subject to change) and interviews will begin January 2025 as per the SCARD guidelines.

Required application documents for preliminary review: 

• Curriculum Vitae 
• Medical school transcript 
• USMLE and/or Complex transcript 
• Three additional letters of recommendation (one from current residency program director) 
• Personal statement 
• Recent photograph 
• Interviews will be required 

Additional documents for foreign medical school graduates:

Note: Documents in a language other than English must be submitted with certified translation. 

• ECFMG certificate 

Additional documentation may be required before a candidate can be appointed. 

The program consists of training in oncological neuroradiology and head and neck imaging, with emphasis on understanding tumors’ effects and performance of physiological imaging, including: magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and various MR and CT perfusion techniques. 

• Educate and provide experience for trainees in all facets of oncology as it applies to the central nervous system to include MR and CT techniques, functional MRI, diffusion and diffusion tensor MRI, perfusion MR and CT, and MR Spectroscopy.
• Prepare the next generation of oncological neuroradiologists in providing excellent clinical care and meaningful research.
• Analyze and correlate data of new CT/MR imaging techniques to prior imaging techniques, pathology, genomics and clinical outcomes.
• Work with neuro-oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation-oncologists, neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons and neuro / head and neck pathologists to establish reliability and value of new imaging techniques in patient care.
• Determine value of these techniques for individual patient care decisions, i.e., precision medicine.
• Learn to perform advanced imaging techniques and provide reliable quantitative data; understand how such data is useful for diagnosis and treatment of individual patients.
• Determine uses, ways to improve and limitations of each of the imaging techniques.
• Observe in the surgical suite to determine best method to accurately correlate imaging data with specific three dimensional spatially correlated pathology. 

The fellowship program is designed to educate trained neuroradiologists in diagnosis of a variety of brain, spine, head and neck tumors, use of advanced imaging techniques in adult/pediatric neuroradiology and recognition of treatment effect (necrosis) from recurrent neoplasm. 

The training program will provide fellows with opportunity to develop, under supervision, progressively independent skills in the performance and interpretation of neuroradiologic and head and neck studies and invasive procedures. The trainee will work closely with imaging and clinical faculty. At first, the fellow will function similarly to a first-year neuroradiology fellow, by attending conferences and watching image protocoling, implementation and interpretation, surgery, and pathologic correlation. Trainees will learn to perform imaging techniques, analyze data, and correlate with collaborating clinicians. The trainee will have instruction from imaging physicists on how to perform specific techniques and quantify data. The fellow will work on each case with neuroradiologists to correlate the application of data to the lesion being studied. 

As the year continues and the fellow develops knowledge of the literature and practical application of advanced imaging techniques to radiology-pathology correlation, the trainee will take on additional responsibilities. The trainee will begin to collect their own data and process advanced imaging studies with decreasing direct supervision. The trainee will be expected to analyze existing data and design their own research project and to complete a potentially publishable paper by the end of the year. The trainee will be asked to form their own interpretations of imaging data and provide supportive evidence of salient features from clinical and imaging data from individual patient cases, as well as research literature. The fellow will then be responsible to follow-up on the outcomes and correlate the imaging findings, including quantitative findings on the advanced imaging techniques with pathology and eventually genomics. 

The neuroradiology fellow will interpret CT and MR images and will perform invasive procedures related to the brain, spine and spinal cord, head and neck, and organs of special sense (eyes, ears, and nose) in adults and children. In a unique set-up, diagnostic ultrasounds of the head and neck are performed within the neuroradiology section and allow for correlation with sectional imaging. The trainee will function as an expert diagnostician and therapeutic consultant and practitioner. 

In addition to knowledge of imaging findings, the fellow will learn the fundamentals of pathology, pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of tumors involving the brain, spine and spinal cord, head and neck and organs of special sense. They will lead clinical multidepartment, teaching and case-based tumor conferences periodically throughout the year. 

The fellow may participate in the following procedures: 

Spine: 

• Fluoroscopically – or CT-guided Lumbar Puncture C1-2 puncture 
• Myelogram/Intrathecal Chemotherapy administration 
• Epidural Blood Patch; Intralaminar or trans-foramina Epidural Steroid Injection 
• Lumbar drain placement 
• Spinal cord ablation 

Vascular: 

• Diagnostic Cerebral Angiograms; Inferior Petrosal Venous Sinus Sampling

Head and Neck: 

• Biopsies, including ultrasound guided thyroid/lymph nodes and intraoperative ultrasound- guided biopsy of lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes via trans-oral approach. 

Didactics:

The training program will provide fellows with an organized, comprehensive, and supervised full-time educational experience in the selection, interpretation, and performance of neuroradiologic examinations and procedures. There will be weekly meetings with neuroradiologists and imaging physicists to correlate data and monthly meetings with working groups to analyze, correlate and observe the significance of data. There will be additional regularly scheduled meetings to present data and to learn what other programs are doing and learn/share recent discoveries and information. Additionally, there are weekly multi-departmental clinical meetings for brain/spine tumors, pediatric brain tumors, head and neck tumors, and endocrine tumors, which the fellow will be encouraged to attend and eventually to present. 

On-Call:

The trainee is responsible for “call” on a rotating basis, but no more frequently than every third or fourth weekend. This involves coverage of all Emergency CT, US exams, CT Head and Neck. All trainees in Diagnostic Radiology will participate in the on-call pool. 

Patient Care Responsibilities:  

Trainee must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems.  

Trainee must demonstrate knowledge of structural and functional anatomy of the brain, spine and head / neck, as well as knowledge of the imaging findings in tumor pathology and post-treatment changes.  

Trainee must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence and to continuously improve a patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning.  

Trainee must demonstrate an awareness of the larger context and system of health care as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.  

Trainee must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and adhere to ethical principles. Remember that respect, compassion, integrity and responsiveness to patient care needs supersede self-interest.  

Trainee must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and teaming with patients, their families and colleagues.  

Supervision: 

Neuroradiology imaging faculty will provide supervision on all cases interpreted by a trainee. Procedures will initially be closely supervised; however, it is expected that less faculty involvement will be required as the year progresses. and is documented in their ACGME milestone evaluation to allow for graduated autonomous growth of the trainee.

Scholarly Activity:  

De Jesus, C., Moseley, T.W., Diaz, V. et al. Supplemental Screening for Breast Cancer. Curr Breast Cancer Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12609-023-00481-7 

De Jesus, C., Moseley, T.W., Diaz, V. et al. The Benefits of Screening Mammography. Curr Breast Cancer Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12609-023-00479-1 

Chung, H.L., Joiner, J., Ferreira Dalla Pria, H.R. et al. Breast Imaging Considerations in Symptomatic Young, Pregnant, and Lactating Women. Curr Breast Cancer Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12609-023-00485-3 

Elhatw, A., Chung, H.L., Kamal, R.M., De Jesus, C. et al. Advanced Breast Imaging Modalities — DBT, CEM, MBI, PEM, MRI, AI. Curr Breast Cancer Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12609-023-00483-5 

Ucisik FE, Huell D, Choi J, Gidley PW, DeMonte F, Hanna EY, Learned KO. Post-Treatment Imaging Evaluation of the Skull Base. Semin Roentgenol. 2023 Jul;58(3):217-236. doi: 10.1053/j.ro.2023.03.004. Epub 2023 Apr 15. PMID: 37507165. 

Choi J, Huell D, Ucisik FE, Learned K. Malignant and Nonmalignant Lesions of the Oral Cavity. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2023 Aug;35(3):311-325. doi: 10.1016/j.coms.2023.02.008. Epub 2023 Apr 7. PMID: 37032182. 

Dagher SA, Lochner RH, Ozkara BB, Schomer DF, Wintermark M, Fuller GN, Ucisik FE. The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign in oncologic neuroradiology: History, current use, emerging data, and future directions. Neuroradiol J. 2023 Nov 4:19714009231212375. doi: 10.1177/19714009231212375. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37924213. 

Ozkara, BB. Federau, C. Dagher, SA. Pattnaik, D. Ucisik, FE. Chen, MM. Wintermark, M. Correlating Volumetric and Linear Measurements of Brain Metastases on MRI Scans Using Intelligent Automation Software: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Neuro-Oncology (Mar 2023). Original Article. PMID: 36988746 

Ucisik FE, Huell D, Choi J, Gidley PW, DeMonte F, Hanna EY, Learned KO. Post-Treatment Imaging Evaluation of the Skull Base. Semin Roentgenol. 2023 Jul;58(3):217-236. doi: 10.1053/j.ro.2023.03.004. Epub 2023 Apr 15. PMID: 37507165. 

Choi, J. Huell, D. Ucisik, FE. Learned, K. Malignant and Nonmalignant Lesions of the Oral Cavity. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America (Apr 2023). Invited Review Article. PMID: 37032182 

Our trainees have the opportunity to work alongside leading  cancer experts at MD Anderson and institutions across the Texas Medical Center. Additionally, our trainees receive exceptional support from the fellowship leadership team. 

Neuroradiology Head and Neck Imaging department

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond MD Anderson

MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.