You will become a GREAT radiologist. UAB is a tertiary referral center for the Southeast US and level 1 trauma center with over 80 subspecialty radiologists. The volume and variety of cases you will encounter will build your confidence to practice anywhere in the country. We offer fellowships in every subspecialty, but the residency is still “resident driven.” And bonus – everything is on one campus! You will get your steps in to be sure, but will minimize the miles on your car.

You will become a part of our family. The investment of time in resident relationships will last well beyond these short four years. You will meet quarterly with your assigned “mentor family” that is made up of an approachable faculty mentor and peer mentors from each class who will walk alongside you throughout your residency. We also foster events outside of work for residents, their partners, and kids so that residents can bond and genuinely enjoy their season in Birmingham. These relationships will help you find not only the best place to eat barbeque (spoiler: it’s Saw’s), but will help you through long nights, and may help you find a future job!

Your input and contributions are important. We put high value in our resident involvement in decision making within our residency. Residents are involved in committees overseeing curriculum development, resident wellness initiatives, departmental policies, quality improvement, hospital wide GME committees, and more. We also have monthly residency feedback sessions with the program director, where input from the residents often leads to practical improvements.

Your wellness will be valued. We work to create an environment where you will thrive both at work and outside of work. We have built a department supported and resident run wellness committee. We have an annual resident retreat, stocked snack supply closet, and holiday parties. UAB offers 4 weeks of paid parental leave for those who have new babies, and we encourage you to take it. If you are a woman and want to breastfeed your new baby, we have all the resources to support you! We are also fortunate to have a GME wellness resources as well as an institutional GME Office dedicated to resident and fellow wellness.

You will take call. SURPRISE! Residents take 5-6 weeks of night float in their R2 and R3 years (with 1 as an R4) alongside another resident with graduated responsibility. We have 24 hours in house attending coverage through our ED section. Your call experience is supplemented with a unique Float rotation. During this block, 2 residents split time covering Children’s of Alabama during the evenings from UAB and gain additional experience reading pediatric imaging studies in the emergency setting. Outside of call, every weekend and holiday is YOURS.

Your education will be a priority. Our residents are a priority in our department and we have engaged teaching faculty. We are conscious of the increasingly remote nature of radiology, and we ensure that our early residents have in-person signout and educational opportunities. We have a robust didactic curriculum based on the ABR blueprints and bimonthly journal clubs. We have also offered courses in business and leadership, artificial intelligence, and utilized national curricula such as RSNA Patient Centered Care curriculum. You will have a $5,000 professional development fund to support education, including attendance at national radiology meetings.

You will be prepared for the CORE. UAB pays for individual accounts of RadPrimer and STATdx, as well as numerous other shared resources! We have a group of dedicated physicists who are passionate about teaching everything you need to know about medical physics. We have a 100% CORE pass rate.

You can encourage the next generation of radiologists. Exercise your educator muscles by participating in quarterly events with the radiology interest group, teaching medical students how to read CTs and MRIs on the PACS, and doing hands-on activities at the medical school. Our residents are encouraged to give lectures both to rotating medical students and introductory lectures to our new residents.

You can do great research. We encourage resident driven research. We have some brilliant, creative faculty who are leading the way in both clinical and translational research, who can help you publish and pave the way of the future! Residents are encouraged to participate and are reimbursed when they present at national meetings.

You invest more in what interests you. We have multiple pathways for more directed innovation during residency including Global Health, Clinician Educator, Informatics, and Research. These are designed to include a mentor and pursuit of a capstone project at the end of residency.

You will be valued here. Our department fosters a sense of belonging and has a committee composed of faculty and residents who help to promote a welcoming culture.

You can participate in optional internal moonlighting opportunities. Residents cover contrast administration at an outpatient clinic in the mornings and evenings. Interpretation moonlighting is reserved for the more senior residents and includes preliminary reads for evening and weekend neuroradiology and weekend ultrasound moonlighting. All of these are optional and covered under your UAB medical malpractice insurance.

You can truly LIVE in the “Magic City.” Named for its overnight explosion of population during the steel era, Birmingham continues to grow in people, food, and culture. The cost of living remains relatively low, and many residents choose to buy houses here. You can enjoy all the new and classic restaurants, bars, and parks in Birmingham easily on a resident salary.