Chase Craven, M.D.

Hometown: Jacksonville, Alabama
Undergrad Degree: Auburn University
Medical Degree: University of Alabama at Birmingham 
Internship: Baptist Desoto Transitional Year

Why did you choose Baptist?

I chose Baptist Memphis Radiology because of the impressive ability of the program to provide a supportive teaching environment in the setting of high-volume clinical training and a wide breadth of pathology. I was aware of the program's reputation of producing strong radiologists prepared for private practice and saw first-hand as a visiting medical student how invested attendings were with teaching and how easy-going the residents were. The program has an amazing program director and coordinator and offers many amenities including free food, generous moonlighting compensation, free parking, and opportunities to trade certain shifts.

What is your day like?  Any challenges?  What’s rewarding about your day?

I am currently on a mammography rotation this month. I arrive at the reading room a little before 8:00 am and my responsibilities revolve around reading screening/ diagnostic mammograms, DEXA scans, and breast ultrasounds. I discuss these cases with the attending radiologist and provide preliminary reports. There are a mix of procedures throughout the day including US-guided breast biopsies and stereotactic breast biopsies. I am at a location outside of our main hospital where our daily noon resident conference is held, so I join remotely and eat lunch for an hour and hang out with the other residents at my location. I go back to the mammography clinic around 1:00 and read studies/ perform biopsies the rest of the day. I am home by 5:00 most days, sometimes even earlier. One of the more challenging aspects of radiology is the high learning curve required for gaining the skill to read diagnostic imaging, and reading outside of working hours is important to stay on top of learning. One of the most rewarding things of residency so far is recognizing pathology on imaging that I was previously unfamiliar with. 

What is your favorite thing about Memphis?

I love how small Memphis feels even though it is one of the largest cities in the US. It is a very affordable city and easy to find nice, safe neighborhoods, even on a resident salary. 

What made you decide on your career? 

Was there someone or something in your life that helped you choose your path? Throughout medical school, I found helping provide a diagnosis for patients' complaints to be the most rewarding and intellectually engaging part of medicine. Providing diagnoses is an extremely important aspect of radiology, and my experiences with different radiology faculty and radiology research during medical school solidified my decision to become a radiologist. Radiology also touches every specialty in medicine, providing the opportunity to assist in the care of a wide-spectrum of people and pathology in both routine outpatient and acute life-saving situations. Including image interpretation, the field offers a large variety of interventional procedures including image-guided biopsies, therapeutic injections, and other diagnostic procedures.

Why would you recommend Baptist to a prospective applicant? 
Baptist is an outstanding program that provides a strong platform for resident-centered learning while maintaining resident wellness. The program has great amenities, competitive on-call pay, and a consistent history of excellent fellowship matches. Many graduate residents ultimately decide to stay on as faculty after fellowship, which I believe speaks to residents' enjoyment of working at Baptist. There is also an associated transitional year just south of Memphis in Southaven, MS if you are interested in not having to move after your intern year.