Alumni

The most important indicator of the success of a training program is found in the outcomes of the graduates upon completion of their training. Learn about our most recent graduate.

Class of 2023

Chanel Wood, M.D.

Hometown: Texas (DFW)
Medical school: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Residency: Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida

Cardiothoracic imaging is moving in exciting directions and there’s a real demand for cardiothoracic imagers. Lung cancer screening will continue to grow and participating in that growth presents an opportunity to make an impact on a large, high-risk population. Cardiac imaging is also growing and evolving with new techniques for non-invasively evaluating anatomy and function—it’s beautiful to look at and fun!

I had the good fortune to complete residency here at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and my experience with the Cardiothoracic Department was uniformly positive and congenial. The expert faculty are kind people and excellent, dedicated teachers. Their attitudes and enthusiasm probably had as much to do with my decision to study cardiothoracic imaging as any other factor.

All cardiac studies were read jointly with an imaging specialist in cardiology. This personal interaction with and education from a clinician was an invaluable component of my fellowship year. The program offered flexibility. For example, I spent a few weeks rotating through different cardiac imaging-related departments traditionally outside of our purview, including echocardiography and interventional cardiology. I’m not sure if this is unique, but I have also typically ran the thoracic tumor board and ILD board when I was on service. That experience gave me a crucial window into the care and management of our patients.

The people—including staff radiologists, technologists, clinicians, and administrators—are special. Both within our department and in multidisciplinary contexts, people are generous with their time and teaching and supportive of my learning.

I think of Jacksonville as the coastal south—the natural environment is beautiful! Beaches and outdoor activities are very accessible and the pace/vibe is relaxed. I lived in a remote area with amazing water and sunrise views, so I had no complaints! Some of my favorite things to do were brunch at Biscottis, beach/outdoors, Amelia Island for quaint shopping and strolling, get on the water (rent a boat or make a friend with a boat!), whatever was going on at the convention center, and concerts/shows downtown.

2023 Graduation

Class of 2022

Omar Cid, M.D.

I was attracted to Mayo Clinic’s Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship program because of the high-quality trained staff and the high staff-to-trainee ratio. The program explored all the important and difficult aspects of thoracic imaging, from interstitial lung disease to transplant and cancer.

On the cardiac side, the program balanced the workload of cardiac imaging with quality time to discuss cases with attendings and offered unique opportunities to read with cardiologists. This gave me a chance to talk with the order providers and see what was clinically relevant and important for the report. The complexity of cardiac pathology was incredible due to our clinical staff’s expertise in cardiomyopathy.

The staff members in the chest section were the best group in the entire division and it was a pleasure to work with them every day. The team was helpful and understanding with personal doctors’ appointments and accommodating time off. 

Jacksonville was a wonderful place to work. It was the “goldilocks” city of Florida’s coastal city. There was a nice balance of the small beach town feeling with larger city loving amenities. The dinner experience in Jacksonville was surprisingly great once you found the gems. 

After completing the Cardiothoracic Imaging Fellowship program, I went on to private practice with the Boca Radiology Group in Miami, Florida. I became the lead tumor board radiologist for lung cancer, a position I felt well prepared to take on.