Call and Night Float System

Our residency provides 24/7 attending coverage, ensuring supervision while allowing residents to take primary responsibility for imaging workflow. Residents manage consultations, triage, preliminary interpretations, and dictation of all imaging studies. Attending radiologists play a secondary role, providing real-time review and feedback, fostering resident autonomy and independence in clinical decision-making.

Night Float

The Night Float rotation lasts one week and takes place in the Body Reading Room of the Dowling Building, from Saturday through Friday. Each resident typically completes 10–11 weeks of Night Float, beginning in the fall of their second year.

Two residents cover night shifts:

  • Early Night Float: 5:00 PM – 4:00 AM

  • Late Night Float: 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM

A $20 nightly meal delivery voucher is provided to each night float resident. This rotation provides intensive experience in managing urgent imaging studies and gaining independent decision-making skills.

Weekend Call

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, two resident call shifts cover the service:

  • 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  • 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Duties include interpreting and dictating emergency, trauma, and inpatient studies, as well as coordinating special procedures. This schedule provides extensive exposure to the radiologic evaluation and management of acutely ill and traumatized patients.

Emergency Radiology Rotation

One resident rotates in Emergency Radiology from Monday through Friday, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM, beginning their clinical duties after noon conference. The resident focuses primarily on stat ED cases until 5:00 PM and then works alongside the early night float resident starting at 5:00 PM, gaining exposure to both emergency and evening workflow.

VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) Call

Residents on call at BMC provide preliminary interpretations for off-hours plain film studies performed at VABHS via the teleradiology system. Cross-sectional imaging at the VA is covered separately by the VA teleradiology service.

Vascular and Interventional Radiology Call

Three to four residents and fellows rotate through Interventional Radiology, alternating carrying the on-call pager, typically 2–3 times per week. Responsibilities include:

  • Evaluating special procedure requests

  • Consulting with the faculty radiologist

  • Performing off-hours vascular and interventional cases under attending supervision

Buddy Call

First-year residents begin exposure to evening call on a buddy system late in their first year. This experience prepares them for independent participation in the call pool starting in their second year.