FAQs
University of Washington School of
Medicine
Body Imaging Fellowships
Frequently Asked Questions
Foreign Applicants
- What type of visa is required for the Fellowship?
The University of Washington's Body Imaging
Fellowships offer a J1 visa for all foreign physicians.
However, the visa
type is negotiable if you meet specific qualifications. The University of
Washington
would be the sponsoring institution.
- Will I need to return to my home country after my fellowship is completed?
The J1 visa is an
educational visa and may carry with it a "return to home country" requirement.
For further information on visas please visit the State Department
at
http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html#emp.
- Does my board certification from my home country qualify?
In order to be eligible for this
position, foreign applicants must be board certified in radiology in their
home
country, must pass Steps I, II and III of the USMLE, and have ECFMG
certification.
Letters of Reference
- How many letters of reference do I need and who should write them?
Three (3) Letters of
reference are required. One of these reference letters must come from your
current
program director or your residency program
director.
- What issues should they address?
The letters should address your clinical
competency and your ability to work within a diverse environment
where
you will be working with technologists, staff personnel, residents, co-fellows,
and attending
radiologists.
**If you are an FMG, please have the letter from your program
director/residency director attest to the
following:
- Number of
months of exposure to U/S, CT, and MR respectively and what types of studies in
which you
have experience for each modality
- Where the medical
school ranks in your home country (for example, does the school rank in the top
10%? 5%? etc.
- To whom should letters be addressed?
Letters of reference should be addressed to
the appropriate Fellowship Program Director and marked
"Attention:
Fellowship Coordinator"
Interview Process
- When will I be asked to interview?
Fellowship interviews will begin in the Spring. You will be contacted if we wish to set up a time for an interview.
- How long is the interview and how many people will I see?
The Fellowship interview is an all day interview where you will see between 4-6 of our faculty and fellows and possibly attend a conference or lecture. This fellowship covers rotations at several medical centers, and there is a possibility that you will be interviewing at these other facilities in the area.
Travel
- Does the University of Washington pay for my travel expenses?
Unfortunately, the University of Washington is unable to pay for your travel expenses for your interview.
- Should I rent a car?
We recommend that you take the shuttle service or a taxi from the airport to your hotel. Several hotels in the University District also have shuttle service to the University. Parking can be extremely difficult, and expensive, in Seattle. A free UW Medical Centers shuttle stops at our Roosevelt Clinic, across the street from the Watertown Hotel.
- How do I get to the University of Washington?
If you choose to rent a car, the following directions are from Sea-Tac Airport:
Take I-5 North for approximately 20 miles and take the 520 exit (north of downtown Seattle). Take the Montlake exit from 520. This is the first exit. Please make sure you are in the right lane as you enter onto 520. Turn left onto Montlake Blvd. Cross the Montlake Bridge (make sure you are in the far right hand lane. Look for signs for the E12 parking lot on your right. Make sure you park by the stadium in E12.
DO NOT PARK IN TRIANGLE UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE. This is reserved for patients and their visitors and we cannot validate your ticket.
- Where should I stay?
There are several hotels that are conveniently
located:
The
University Inn The Meany
Hotel
The Watertown
Inn Travelodge
Benefits and General Questions
- How many days of vacation do I get as a fellow?
Body Imaging fellows receive 20 days of leave, 15 for vacation and 5 for conferences. Only weekdays are counted in this total. In other words, if you take vacation from a Saturday through the following Sunday, you will only have taken 5 days of vacation (M-F). In addition, fellows receive 10 established holidays.
- What type of benefits do I get as a fellow?
As a fellow you will receive medical and dental benefits. For more in-depth information please see the following links:
http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/forms/benefits.glance.faculty.pdf
http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/welcome.html
- How often will I be on call and how long is call?
Call is
negotiated between the current fellows and is dependent partially on how many
fellows we have during that academic year. In general, you will be asked to do
8-9 weeks of call during your 12-month rotation, as we typically have 7
fellows. Call is typically taken in 3-day or 4-day blocks, Monday through
Thursday or Friday through Sunday.
- If I am accepted into the program, what should I know about Seattle?
The below link offers several different links about moving to Seattle and Seattle's community resources.
http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/welcome.html
In addition, Washington State offers a site where you can find anything from how to get a marriage license to where parks and recreation are located, at www.access.wa.gov.
- How much will I be paid?
The salary is approximately $58,000 per annum. However, this is subject to change and usually is re-evaluated annually. Fellows are also eligible to participate in University group health and dental insurance. See information on benefits above.