On Friday, September 28, 2018, Lourdes Alanis, a fourth-year resident with Cooper’s Diagnostic Radiology program, gave Instagram followers a look into the world of interventional radiology (IR). This opportunity was provided by the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), which highlighted six women in IR as part of a social media campaign in September celebrating Women in Medicine Month. Each physician shared photos on SIR’s Instagram, walking followers through their “day in the life” at various institutions across the country. These women in IR shared a look into the myriad conditions and diseases interventional radiologists treat every day through minimally invasive, image-guided methods and how they work together with colleagues to maximize patient-centered care.
“SIR provided me with the opportunity to share my day as a fourth-year radiology resident in the Interventional Radiology Department at Cooper with the rest of the IR community,” said Lourdes. “Interventional radiology is an exciting field that specializes in image-guided, minimally-invasive procedures. IR offers patients an alternative for the treatment of many medical conditions such as uterine artery embolization for fibroids, transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma, and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension and varices seen in patients with liver cirrhosis. With advanced technologies and daily innovations, the sky’s the limit in IR. Using image guidance (US, CT, MRI, etc.) one can treat a patient from head to toe through a tiny incision in the neck, arm, or groin! Throughout the years more women have joined the field of IR as it provides tremendous opportunities. It is an amazing field and one that I am proud to be a part of.
“Here in the Interventional Radiology Department at Cooper University Health Care we pride ourselves in providing quality and personalized care for all our patients. Although I originally pursued a career in surgery, my experiences as an intern helped redirect my goals in life. After being introduced to the field of IR by my mentor, it immediately appealed to me with the combination of image-guided, minimally invasive procedures, a deep knowledge of imaging and the human anatomy, and direct patient care. Moreover, I was drawn to IR because the field requires innovative thinking and is at the forefront of redefining the future of medicine by creating game-changing techniques and therapies.
“The traditional pathway to IR includes a four-year Diagnostic Radiology residency followed by a one-year fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology. I chose to pursue my Diagnostic Radiology residency at Cooper University Health Care because I knew I would obtain a strong foundation in Diagnostic Radiology (for my fellowship and career) as it is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in South Jersey offering a large volume of high-level cases, is a primary stroke center, and is affiliated with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Moreover, growing up in a similar community as Camden and having received my medical education from the PRIME-Leadership and Advocacy Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, I felt Cooper mirrored my mission in providing medical care to a diverse patient population. I will continue my journey in IR by completing an IR fellowship next year at UCLA.”
Cooper’s expert staff of board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists and registered technologists provides patients and referring physicians with the highest level of service and care. To learn more about radiology services at Cooper, click here. If you’re interested in learning more about our Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program, click here.