Resident On-Call Responsibilities

Residents provide after-hours radiology coverage for the University of New Mexico Hospital as the state's only Level-1 trauma center, UNMH is staffed by an in-house radiologist at all times. Residents are always supported by a team of on-call faculty members (general radiology, neuroradiology, and interventional radiology) who are available for telephone or in-person consultation if necessary.

The amount of overnight call taken by residents at UNM is nearly identical to the national average. Our current call-schedule is listed below. The number of on-call shifts will vary depending on the number of residents in each class and the total number of residents in the program. It is expected that call responsibilities will change to maintain compliance with standards determined by ACGME and the Common Program Requirements.

Year Description Shifts Frequency (average)
PGY1 UNMH evening/weekend in-house 60 q 5-6 days x 10 mo.
PGY2 UNMH overnight/weekend call float 73 q 5-6 days x 12 mo.
night float system = 1 week - q 5 weeks
PGY3 UNMH in-house overnight call (Jul)
UNMH eve/weekend in-house (Aug)
UNMH in-house overnight call		 7
6
28		 q 5-6 days x 1 mo.
q 5-6 days x 1 mo.
q 15-18 days x 10 mo.
PGY4 UNMH in-house overnight call 31 q 15 18 days x 12 mo.
PGY5 UNMH in-house overnight call 16 q 13-18 days x 6 mo.

On-call responsibilities are divided by year:

  • First-Year - After two months of training, first-year residents begin assisting upper level residents with on-call responsibilities. Evening call begins on September 1, with first-year residents rotating weekdays (from 4:30 PM until ~10:00 PM, or earlier at the discretion of the upper-level resident) and weekend days (from 8:00 AM until ~6:00 PM) at UNMH. Depending on the number of residents per class, call averages one shift per 4-6 days for junior residents. Duties include interpreting emergency department radiographs, and performing emergent fluoroscopy exams. First-year residents will also participate in Neuroradiology weekend call during the second half of the year.  PGY3-PGY4 and PGY5 residents are responsible to supervise PGY1 resident.
  • Second-Year - Second-year residents take in-house call overnight in a call float pool at UNMH on July 1. They are initially accompanied by third-year residents, who stay in-house overnight during July, and assist during the evening hours during August. Second-year residents supervise first-year residents once they begin taking call. Second-year residents are responsible for preliminary interpretation of exams from all imaging modalities such as conventional radiographs, CT, ultrasound, MRI, and nuclear medicine. Preliminary interpretations are reviewed with faculty the following morning.
  • Third Year - After providing back-up support to new second-year residents during the months of July and August, third-year residents graduate to taking in house call shared with the fourth and fifth year classes.
  • Fourth Year - Fourth-year residents take in-house overnight call at the University Hospital.
  • Fifth Year - Fifth-year residents take in-house overnight call at the University Hospital until January 1, when they are released from call responsibilities for the remainder of the residency to allow time for preparation for oral board exams. With the restructuring of the ABR examination schedule and the potential for new call requirements, this is subject to change.

Experienced residents are given the opportunity to earn additional income by performing additional specialty on-call duties:

  • Interventional Call - PGY 2-5 residents are given the opportunity to voluntarily cover interventional call shifts during weeks that are not covered by fellows. Residents receive generous additional financial compensation for these duties.
  • Neuroradiology Call - Residents in PGY 2-5 that have gained proficiency in neuroradiology are given the opportunity to assist faculty neuroradiologists on weekend and holiday morning readouts. These morning readout sessions are conducted under direct faculty supervision and last from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Residents receive generous additional financial compensation for these duties.