Musculoskeletal Imaging & Intervention Fellowship

Timeline

November 1, 2023: Programs may begin accepting applications
January 1, 2024: Virtual interviews may begin
March 31, 2024: Virtual interviews completed

Applicants must have completed a radiology residency program accredited by the ACGME or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada by the time they start their fellowship at BIDMC. Applicants must be certified or qualified for certification by the American Board of Radiology and have obtained a Massachusetts medical license by the beginning of the fellowship.

Your application must include:

1. The SSR Fellowship application
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Personal statement
4. A letter of recommendation from your program director or current director
5. Two additional letters of recommendation
6. USMLE scores, steps 1-3

Please email your application materials to our Radiology Education Office.

On behalf of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Musculoskeletal Imaging & Intervention Fellowship team, we thank you for your interest in our program. Graduates of our program have gone on to successful careers in both academic and private practices around the country. We have an active imaging service with high referrals related to sports medicine, rheumatology, podiatry, and orthopedic oncology. We are a tertiary referral center in New England for bone and soft tissue tumors. Our MSK fellows are fully integrated into our program and run the musculoskeletal imaging service with close staff supervision. Fellows are actively involved in all procedures with graded responsibility in image-guided interventional procedures, including arthrograms, therapeutic injections, ultrasound-guided bursal and tendon sheath injections, and musculoskeletal biopsies. Fellows perform and interpret MSK ultrasound studies and procedures.

Program Goals:

1. To provide an organized, comprehensive, and highly supervised educational experience in musculoskeletal radiology so that fellows, upon completion of the program, will function as independent MSK consultants and practitioners in private practice or academic settings.
2. To train fellows in the selection, performance, and interpretation of diagnostic imaging studies of the musculoskeletal system, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), nuclear medicine, and plain film radiography.
3. To train the fellows in the selection, performance, and interpretation of invasive diagnostic and interventional procedures, such as arthrography, joint injections and aspirations, CT and US-guided biopsies of the MSK system, and US-guided therapeutic interventions.
4. To train our fellows to be effective collaborators and medical consultants with sufficient experience to advise referring clinicians on the most expeditious and efficient imaging techniques to address musculoskeletal imaging cases.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is a busy Level I Trauma Center and major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. BIDMC is also a major New England referral center for orthopedic oncology cases.

Our MSK practice performs more than 70,000 imaging studies in Boston and at our community sites annually. We also work closely with BIDMC’s active Orthopedic, Spine, Internal Medicine, Podiatry, Cancer, and Rheumatology services, as well as the Joslin Diabetes Clinic.

Our facilities include:

• 8 Multidetector CT; 32-320 slice, including 1 dedicated 64-slice MDCT scanner in the emergency department; four scanners with CT fluoroscopy capability for CT-guided biopsies
• 8 MR systems (Two 3T, six 1.5T)
• 2 small bore high field MR systems
• 1 PET/CT and 1 SPECT/CT
• 1 dedicated biplane angiography suite for diagnostic and interventional neuroangiography and spinal procedures
• 1 dedicated biplane angiography suite for diagnostic and interventional neuroangiography and spinal procedures
• 1 dedicated Philips iU22 for diagnostic and interventional MSK US examinations
• State-of-the-art 3D laboratory with dedicated workstations: AW and Vitrea
• PACS: GE Centricity. Musculoskeletal studies from five outpatient centers and two community hospitals are also read by the Section at BIDMC, via PACs.

We have created a one-year MSK fellowship-level curriculum that builds on material learned and skills acquired in the four-year radiology residency. The curriculum provides explicit goals and learning objectives for the fellows with a road map for the year’s learning, and draws from case material encountered in daily read-outs. We have created a shared directory of helpful journal articles that can be easily accessed by the fellows on all subjects within MSK radiology, to help with case work and readouts as questions arise. Our didactic lectures have been placed into the shared directory. We are vested in our fellows’ learning and success not only in our program but as our future colleagues wherever you decide to practice.

Conferences

We have developed a weekly didactic lecture and case conference program tailored for the fellowship-level trainee, encompassing topics such as MRI protocol optimization, bone and soft tissue tumors, post-operative shoulder imaging, hip imaging, nerve entrapment, MSK ultrasound, MR evaluation of bone marrow, to name a few.

Fellows are responsible for running several weekly and monthly clinical conferences, including orthopedic oncology, sports medicine, foot and ankle, QA and follow-up, and rheumatology. We have a joint monthly journal club with the radiologists at the New England Baptist Hospital directed at fellow-level learning.

Fellows enjoy teaching medical students and radiology residents who rotate on service with us. In addition, they prepare case conferences and board reviews for the radiology residents and end-of-year lecture.

Research

The MSK section is involved in many aspects of research, from MR pulse sequence development to collaboration with our MR researchers, orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists and internal medicine colleagues, as well as medical education. We have special research interests relating to MSK interventional procedures, musculoskeletal tumors, muscle imaging, bone densitometry, and sports medicine. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is internationally recognized for its MRI research.

We mentor our MSK fellows in research projects when they begin their fellowships; academic time is provided. MSK fellows will complete at least one research project and one outcome project during their fellowship year at BIDMC.

The Musculoskeletal Imaging Section is staffed by four full-time and three part-time attending radiologists who specialize in musculoskeletal imaging and intervention.

Ronald Eisenberg, MD, JD

Fellowship:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of California School of Medicine, 1987

Residencies:

• Diagnostic Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, 1975
• Diagnostic Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 1971

Internship:

• Mount Zion Medical Center, San Francisco, 1970

Medical Degree:

• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1969

Contact: Email

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Aparna Komarraju, MD, MHA

Fellowship:

• Musculoskeletal Radiology, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas

Residency:

• Diagnostic Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR

Internships:

• Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Andhra Pradesh, India
• Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR

Medical Degree:

• MD, Kakatiya Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India

Master’s Degree:

• MHA, Midwestern State

Contact: Email

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Justin Kung, MD

Fellowship:

• Musculoskeletal Radiology (Chief Fellow), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2010

Residency:

• Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2009

Internship:

• Transitional Internship, Albert Einstein / Jefferson Medical School, Philadelphia, 2005

Medical School:

• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2005

Contact: Email

More Information:
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After fellowship, our alumni have accepted a broad range of clinical and academic positions at BIDMC and at other medical centers and private practices, including:

• Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Georgia
• Clara Mass Medical Center, New Jersey
• Coastal Imaging, New Jersey
• Eastern Radiologists, Greenville, North Carolina
• Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia
• Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
• Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, California
• L&M Radiology, Massachusetts
• Lenox Hill Hospital, New York
• Madison Radiologists, Wisconsin
• Baker Imaging, Washington
• North Shore Medical Center/Salem Hospital, Massachusetts
• Portsmouth Radiological Associates, New Hampshire
• Progressive Health, LLC, New Jersey
• Quantum Imaging, Pennsylvania
• Quantum Radiology, Georgia
• Saint Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri
• Spectrum Medical Group, Maine
• Temple University Health System
• Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia
• Toronto General Hospital, Canada
• University of Connecticut School of Medicine
• VIA Radiology, Seattle, Washington
• Warren Alpert Medical School

2022-2023
Bradley Robinson, MD
Kevin Sun, MD

2021-2022
Yousef Alshumrani, MD
Brian Hayes, MD

2020-2021
Rakesh Amin, MD
Yi Cao, MD

2019–2020
Richard Kavanagh, MD
Alexei Kudla, MD

2017–2018
David Khatami, MD, PhD
Brian H. Lee, MD

2016–2017
Allen S. Prober, MD
Yuri Shif, MD

2015–2016
Stephanie Coleman, MD, MPH
Patrick Redmond, MD

2014–2015
Micah G. Cohen, MD
David Glazier, MD

2013–2014
Omer Awan, MD
Jennifer NÍ Mhuircheartaigh, MD, M Med Sci

2012–2013
Kelechi Princewill, MD
Michael T. Baldwin, MD

2011–2012
Elize Gershater, MD
Jay Patel, MD

2010–2011
Yulia Melenevsky, MD
Daniel Siegel, MD

2009–2010
Justin Kung, MD
Suzanne Long, MD

2008–2009
Michael Geary, MD
Vaibhav Mangrulkar, MD

2007–2008
Christian Annese, MD
Colm J. McMahon, MB, BAO, BCh

2006–2007
Stephen J. Buetow, MD
Shawn McGuire, MD

2005–2006
Steven Farraher, MD

2004–2005
Devon Klein, MD

2003–2004
Peter T. Evangelista, MD

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6. Hegazi T and Wu JS. Musculoskeletal MRI: A Case-Based Approach to Interpretation and Reporting. Springer 2019. ISBN 978-3-030-26776-6. 303 pages.
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15. Deshmukh S, Omar I. Imaging of Hip Arthroplasties: Normal findings and hardware complications. Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology. 2019 April; 23:162-176. PMID: 30925629.
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18. Klein DA, Lee BH, Bezhani H, Droukas DD, Stoffels G. The Clinical Utility of MRI in Evaluating for Osteomyelitis in Patients Presenting with Uncomplicated Cellulitis. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2020 Mar-Apr; 59(2):323-329. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas. 2019.02.009. PMID: 32130998
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21. Zandee van Rilland E*, Kim S*, Mhuircheartaigh JN, Shif Y*, Kung J, Wu JS. Association of Aspirin and Other Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs with Bleeding Complications in Image-Guided Musculoskeletal Biopsies. Skeletal Radiol 2020; 49(11):1849-1854. PMID: 32535773.
22. Deshmukh S, Youngner J, Garg A. Fluoroscopy-Guided Spine Injections: Establishing a Successful Service in your Radiology Department or Practice. Skeletal Radiology. 2020 Mar; 49(3):475-479. PMID: 31620831.
23. Gilcrease B*, Deshmukh S, Parsons M. “Anatomy, Imaging, and Pathology of the Brachial Plexus.” Radiographics. October Special Issue 2020. 2020200012.
24. Fernandez CE*, Franz CK, Ko JH, Walter JM, Koralnik IJ, Ahlawat S, Deshmukh S. Imaging Review of Peripheral Nerve Injuries in COVID-19 Patients. Radiology. Published online 12/1/20. 2020203116.
25. Ramani SL*, Samet J, Franz CK, Hsieh C, Nguyen CV, Horbinski C, Deshmukh S. Musculoskeletal Involvement of COVID-19: Review of Imaging. Skeletal Radiology. 2021 Feb 18. doi: 10.1007/s00256-021-03734-7.
26. Patel A*, Franz CK, Bharat A, Walter JM, Wolfe LF, Koralnik IJ, Deshmukh S. Diaphragm and Phrenic Nerve Ultrasound in COVID-19 Patients and Beyond. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 27 March 2021.
27. Hsu TH, Schawkat K, Berkowitz SJ, Wei JL, Makoyeva A, Legare K, DeCicco C, Paez SN, Wu JS, Szolovits P, Kikinis R, Moser AJ, Goehler A. Artificial intelligence to assess body composition on routine abdominal CT scans and predict mortality in pancreatic cancer- A recipe for your local application. Eur J Radiol. 2021 Sep; 142:109834. PMID: 34252866.
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29. Horowitz J, Kelahan LC, Deshmukh S, Miller F, Gabriel H.Letter to the Editor. Modality Interpretation among Radiologists: Opportunities for Equality, Wellness, and Satisfaction. Academic Radiology. 2020 Sep; 27(9):1338-1339. doi: 10.1016/j.acra. 2020.05.034. PMID: 32616419.
30. Riedel M, Staffa S, Miller C, Zurakowski D, Wu JS, Kwon JY. What is Too Swollen? Correlation of Soft Tissue Swelling and Timing to Surgery with Acute Wound Complications for Operatively-Treated Lower Extremity Fractures.Foot Ankle Int. 2019; 40(5):526-536. PMID: 30688533.
31. Spieler B, Agarwal V, Alexander LF, Desouches S, Pryluck DS, Martin JG, Smith EB, Leake R, Jay AK, Wells SA, Artrip R, Legro N, Wu JS. Evolution of the Interventional Radiology Pathway- Various Changes and Interrelation to Diagnostic Radiology. Acad Radiol. 2021 Apr 24; S1076-6332(21)00137-9. PMID: 33906805.
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33. Thavikulwat AC*, Wu JS, Chen X*, Anderson ME, Ward A, Kung J. Image-guided Core Needle Biopsy of Adipocytic Tumors: Diagnostic Accuracy and Concordance with Final Surgical Pathology. AJR 2021; 216(4):997-1002. PMID: 33624523.
34. Hosseinzadeh S, DeAngelis JP, Komarraju A, Wu AC, Wu JS. Imaging of Acute Shoulder Trauma. Semin Roentgenol. 2021:56(1):5-21. PMID: 33422184.
35. Zandee van Rilland ED, Wu JS, Tompkins CM, Kelly SP, Anderson ME. Distant migration of gluteal augmentation fat presenting as a soft tissue knee mass. Skeletal Radiol. 2021 Oct 7. doi: 10.1007/s00256-021-03931-4.
36. Chang CY, Garner HW, Ahlawat S, Amini B, Bucknor MD, Flug JA, Khodarahmi I, Mulligan ME, Peterson JJ, Riley GM, Mohammad Samim M, Lozano-Calderon SA, Wu JS. Guidelines for the Diagnostic Management of Incidental Solitary Bone Lesions on CT and MRI: Bone Reporting and Data System (Bone-RADS). Skeletal Radiol.
37. Bao MH, DeAngelis JP, Wu JS. Imaging of Traumatic Shoulder Injuries - Understanding the Surgeon’s Perspective. Eur J Radiol Open.
38. Zandee van Rilland ED, Deshmukh S, Wu JS. Troubleshooting Challenging Musculoskeletal Tumor Biopsies: Tricks of the Trade Semin Roentgenol.
39. Eisenberg RL, Sotman TE, Czum JM, Montner SM, Meyer CA. Prevalence of Burnout Among Cardiothoracic Radiologists. J Thorac Imaging 2021; 36:57-64.
40. Komarraju A, Goldberg-Stein S, Pederson R, McCrum C, Chhabra A. Spectrum of common and uncommon causes of knee joint hyaline cartilage degeneration and their key imaging features. Eur J Radiol. 2020 Aug; 129:109097. PMID: 32534353.
41. Larocque N, Shenoy-Bhangle A, Brook A, Eisenberg R, Chang YM, Mehta P. Resident experiences with virtual radiology learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acad Radiol. 2021 May; 28(5):704-710. Epub 2021 Feb 15.
42. Harrell A*, Johnson D, Samet J, Omar I, Deshmukh S. With or Without? A Retrospective Analysis of Intravenous Contrast Utility in Magnetic Resonance Neurography. Skeletal Radiology. 2020 April; 49(4):577-584. PMID: 31691835
43. Serhal A*, Adams B*, Omar I, Deshmukh S. “Fascia lata attachment at the iliac crest: Refining our diagnostic criteria of injury on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.” Br J Radiol. 2020; 93(111). PMID: 32459514
44. Malik GR, Wolfe AR, Soriano R, Rydberg L, Wolfe LF, Deshmukh S, Ko JH, Nussbaum RP, Dreyer SD, Jayabalan P, Walter JM, Franz CK. Injury-prone: peripheral nerve injuries associated with prone positioning for COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Br J Anaesth. 2020 Sep 4. Epub ahead of print. 2020 Dec; 125(6): e478–e480. Published online 2020 Sep 4. PMID: 32948295.
45. Kurumety S*, Walker A, Samet J, Grant T, Dumanian G, Deshmukh S. Ultrasound-guided Lateral Abdominal Wall Botulinum Toxin Injection Prior to Ventral Hernia Repair: A Review for Radiologists. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 2020 Dec. doi: 10.1002/jum.15591. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33320354.
46. Tegtmeyer K*, Abboud SF, Omar IM, Grant T, Deshmukh S. State-of-the-Art Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of Rheumatologic Conditions: The Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) technique. Advances in Clinical Radiology.
47. Deshmukh S, Tegtmeyer K*, Kovour M*, Ahlawat S, Samet J. Diagnostic contribution of contrast-enhanced 3D MR imaging of peripheral nerve pathology. Skeletal Radiology. 2021 May. Online ahead of print.
48. Farr E, Wolfe AR, Deshmukh S, Rydberg L, Soriano R, Walter J, Boon A, Wolfe L, Franz C. Diaphragm dysfunction in severe Covid-19 as determined by neuromuscular ultrasound. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. July 2021. Online ahead of print.
49. Deshmukh S, Shmelev K*, Vassiliades L*, Kurumety S*, Agarwal G, Horowitz JM. Imposter phenomenon in radiology: incidence, intervention, and impact on wellness. Clinical Imaging. February 2022. Online ahead of print.
50. Horowitz JM, Deshmukh S, et al. Role of Ergonomic Improvements in Decreasing Repetitive Stress Injuries and Promoting Well-being in a Radiology Department. Academic Radiology.
51. Komarraju A, Mehta ST, Glacier C, Nabaweesi R, Choudhary A, Ramakrishnaiah R. Ultra-Low-Dose Computed Tomography Protocol for Preoperative Evaluation in Children with Craniofacial Anomalies. J Craniofac Surg. 2021 Jan-Feb 01; 32(1):130-133. PMID: 33235162.