Interventional Radiology Residency

The IR specialty was founded in the early 1960s by Charles Dotter, MD, who invented angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used to treat peripheral artery disease. However, the procedural domain of IR has increased dramatically since then. Furthermore, clinical care has become an integral and essential part of interventional care. Therefore, the traditional one-year fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology (VIR) following one year of clinical internship and four years of DR residency was deemed no longer adequate. Fortunately, in February 2012 the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognized IR as a distinctive specialty in medicine, noting that IR practitioners have unique expertise in three areas that mark the domain of IR – diagnostic imaging, image-guided procedures, and patient care. The ACGME sanctioned the formation of a new IR residency program in 2013, and subsequently approved the program requirements on September 28, 2014. Three pathways were endorsed: (1) integrated IR residency, which entails one year of clinical internship followed by five years of IR residency; (2) independent IR residency, which involves two years of IR residency after one year of clinical internship and four years of DR residency; and (3) Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR), which consists of one year of clinical internship followed by four years of DR residency with an emphasis on IR during PGY-5, followed by one year of independent IR residency. During an integrated IR residency, the first three years highlight DR, and the last two years feature IR. The integrated IR residency is the desired dominant training pathway for IR according to the ABMS, ACGME, American Board of Radiology (ABR), and Society of Interventional Radiology. The first eight integrated IR residency programs were accredited by the ACGME in the fall of 2015, and initially participated in the 2016 National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) match for a 2017-22 residency. The MHMMC Integrated IR Residency Program was accredited in the spring of 2016 as one of the first 12 such programs, and initially participated in the 2017 match for a 2018-23 residency. The first match for independent IR residencies was in 2019 for a 2020-22 residency. The last VIR fellowship match was in 2018 for the final 2019-20 fellowship year. Our first integrated IR resident graduated in 2023, and we designated our first ESIR resident later that year.

Although MHMMC has had a DR residency for nearly 70 years, it never had a VIR fellowship. This enabled MHMMC DR residents to be intimately involved with procedures and earned the DR residency a reputation as one of the top training programs in the country for preparation for VIR fellowship. Historically, greater than 25 percent of our DR graduates chose to pursue IR! When the sunset of VIR fellowships on June 30, 2020, was announced, we chose to develop an integrated IR residency at MHMMC in order to continue our long tradition of robust IR training in the new paradigm. Furthermore, the MHMMC DR Residency Program obtained ESIR designation from the ACGME in 2023 so that IR will be a more viable career option for our DR residents who develop a late interest in IR by making their total length of training equivalent to those who pursue fellowships in other radiology subspecialties.

Welcome to the department of Radiology at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC).  Our mission is to provide high quality affordable care, educating tomorrow’s caregivers, and researching better ways to provide care.  Our residency is thriving, and recently has expanded.  We pride ourselves in attracting bright, kind residents from various regions who embrace learning in a high acuity environment, while balancing a healthy lifestyle.   

The Faculty

We have over 45 radiologists on staff, the majority of whom are fellowship trained. With this level of sub specialization, we are able to provide targeted education in each field of practice.  This includes IR, pediatrics, breast imaging, body MRI, MSK, neuroradiology, chest , ultrasound and emergency room imaging.  Our didactics cover these areas, and we provide dedicated teaching all day at the workstation on each rotation.  Our IR department is robust, and we have successfully launched the first graduates of our IR residency.

The daily working environment can be described as busy but fun.  Our attendings get to know you on a personal level, and the mentor relationships and friendships often last well beyond your departure.  Many of our staff have trained here, attesting to the strong bonds we forge.

The Facilities

At MHMMC, we support a 700 plus bed hospital, with the state’s only level 1 trauma center, comprehensive stroke center, and a pediatric hospital within the hospital.  Our residents see a wide range of pathology, and leave here exceedingly well trained in all disciplines.  We currently have four dual energy CT scanners in house, as well as two additional dual energy outpatient CT scanners.  We have two inpatient MRI units, and five outpatient units.  We pride ourselves in our up to date protocols, with services that support all types of tumor boards.  We have a full nuclear medicine department, with recent expansion into theranostics.  Our breast-imaging center is the best in the state, with weekly tumor boards, and an active procedure team including MRI guided biopsies.  MHMMC has had a recent expansion with the Malone Family tower, a dedicated cardiac building.

Research and Education

Our research efforts continue to grow, with a myriad of activities including grants, QI projects, case reports, abstracts, and journal articles.  We are excited with our recent hire of a research navigator, who has already made in impact with a goal of teaching and familiarizing our residents with all aspects of research. Our lecture series including grand rounds have expanded, and we have had a wide range of national speakers on topics including AI, DEI, as well as quality initiatives.   

We are increasing our residents’ options, and are open to creating mini fellowships during your residency, with the goal of getting you ready for what your future job needs.   

Patient population and region

Portland has evolved into a bustling, diverse, urban environment.  Our patient population draws from all over the world, with a diverse number of languages.  The population of the greater Portland region explodes in the summer, with travelers from everywhere arriving to experience the beauty, and eat our cosmopolitan food.  Our role is to take care of all.  This includes our diverse community, the undeserved, our elderly community, the children, and our visitors.  It is a tremendous gift to live and experience this environment, and to teach and learn here.  

We consider our hospital, our training program, and the region to be a diamond.  It offers a unique combination:  A large hospital teeming with residents and educational opportunities that supports all populations, surrounded by a city that offers music, food, art and outdoor activities.  You are able to swim, surf, hike and ski.  We would love to meet you and share with you our experiences.  

− Sharon G Siegel, MD 

Mission

The Mission of the MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program is to develop physicians with expertise in diagnostic imaging, image-guided minimally invasive procedures, and the evaluation and clinical management of patients with conditions amenable to these methods. Our hybrid academic/community program provides training in diverse healthcare settings, including underserved and high-complexity tertiary care populations.  We strive to graduate trainees who will become leaders in patient care, education, and research in both academic institutions and private practice, in keeping with the institutional mission.

Diversity Mission Statement

The Department of Medical Education at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center is committed to actively pursuing and welcoming a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds.  We believe that doing so will improve the academic environment, drive innovation, and enhance our ability to provide compassionate and patient-centered care to our patients and their families.
Our responsibility is to ensure a safe, inclusive culture, aligned with MaineHealth Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies, where each person has recognized value.  We are committed to fostering a collaborative, respectful, and equitable environment where our learners, faculty, and teams can thrive in an ever-changing global community.  Learn more about DEI at MHMMC.

• To foster a commitment to professionalism, adherence to ethical principles, and improving well-being.
• To develop skills to provide quality imaging consultations, perform basic and complex procedures, and evaluate and manage patients before and after interventions.
• To build knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology, cellular and molecular systems, physics, and treatments in order to generate differential diagnoses, optimize imaging, minimize patient risk, and effectively perform procedures.
• To develop an ability to evaluate the care of patients, appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning.
• To nurture interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals.
• To cultivate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, including the social determinants of health, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources to provide optimal health care.

My interview experience at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC) felt somewhat like a homecoming as I had spent a month-long elective rotation in the Department of Radiology in the fall prior to interview season. Over this period of time, I gained a true sense of the culture of the program. From the technologists to the nurses to the residents, everyone in the department was genuinely happy. This translated into a collegial working atmosphere between the residents, departmental staff and attending radiologists. The residents benefitted from the lack of fellows and were intimately involved in all types of procedures and studies from day one of residency. I knew that I would thrive in this type of setting where resident education takes precedence. MHMMC offers a unique training environment in that it combines the resources of a large, academic teaching hospital with the nurturing feel of a community hospital. As a tertiary referral center and the only Level One Trauma Center for the entire state of Maine, residents are exposed to tremendous case variety and volume.

After rotating through the Interventional Radiology (IR) Section, I realized just how special the IR training is at MHMMC. All of the attending interventional radiologists trained at top-tier institutions, and they each bring with them their own depth of experience. More importantly, they all are committed to empowering their residents to reach their own personal and career goals. Those interested in the IR/DR pathway at MHMMC benefit from unparalleled autonomy, one-on-one mentoring and world-class instruction under the new training paradigm. Subsequently, I held every program that I would visit in the coming months to the standard that MHMMC had set.

I came well prepared to my interview, as I had been on over a dozen interviews up to that point. In spite of this, I still felt a bit anxious since, based on my experience, I knew that the program would be my number one choice. However, everyone involved with the interview day set all of the applicants at ease. The interview day was extremely well organized due to the hard work of the program coordinator. All of my interviewers knew my application thoroughly and were eager to learn more about me. The interview experience at MHMMC met all of my expectations.

Portland itself is an amazing place to live and work. I remember flying into Portland for my interview and seeing the rocky coast and sailboats dotting the shoreline. It almost seemed surreal that one could live and train in a place so beautiful. Portland offers big-city amenities while maintaining the majestic feel of a seacoast town. The city offers endless, world-class restaurants as well as award-winning breweries. I cannot think of a better place to spend my years of residency, learning, growing and enjoying everything Portland has to offer. 

Matthew Moccia, DO
IR Resident, Class of 2023
MHMMC Integrated IR Residency Program

MHMMC IR residents at the PGY-2 level or above can choose to staff offsite MRI and CT scanners in order to monitor for and treat possible contrast reactions. The MRI shifts are on weekday evenings from 5-7:30 PM and on weekends from 7AM - 7PM. The CT shifts are on Saturdays from 8AM – 5PM.

Residents who wish to pursue these opportunities need to be in good standing and require approval and continuing oversight by the program director and the Clinical Competency Committee. Furthermore, any hours spent moonlighting count toward the clinical and educational work hour limit of 80 hours per week (averaged over a four-week period).