New IR Residency and IR/DR Certificate: Future Direction of the Specialty

Background information

In 2012, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved interventional radiology as a primary specialty in medicine. In 2013, the American Board of Radiology (ABR) announced that it would certify interventional radiology doctors in interventional radiology and diagnostic radiology, reflecting that the essential components of competency include both IR and DR. Later that year, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved the formation of a new residency training program in interventional radiology. Successful completion of this training program will qualify graduates to sit for the ABR IR/DR certificate exams. This webpage is devoted to providing the most up-to-date information about the IR/DR certificate.
Please use the headings on the left to access information about the IR/DR Certificate and IR Residency.

Please visit regularly to obtain the latest news and updated information. The information on this page is subject to revision.

Recent news and updates

ACGME Accreditation News

Congratulations to the 17 diagnostic radiology residency programs that received Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approval of their Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) designation at the September Residency Review Committee (RRC) meeting. With the addition of these 17 new programs, there are now a total of 44 institutions with an approved ESIR track:

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Manhasset, N.Y.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Integris Health, Oklahoma City
Kaiser Permanente Southern California (Los Angeles)
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (Arizona), Phoenix
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (Jacksonville), Fla.
New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle
Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium, St. Louis

Congratulations to the 17 institutions that received ACGME accreditation of their integrated IR residency programs at the April Residency Review Committee (RRC) meeting. With the addition of these 17 new programs, there are now a total of 61 institutions with accredited integrated IR residency programs.

Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia
Duke University Hospital, Durham, N.C.
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium, Calif.
Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans
Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, Lebanon, N.H.
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn.
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)
Ohio State University Hospital, Columbus
Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Pa.
University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas
University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake

Read more about the progress of IR Residency applications in SIR Connect’s Open Forum and APDIR and RFS sections. Also, download the free “IR Implementation webinar” in the IR Store.
For more information contact Jennifer Goubeaux.

SIR PAC congressional initiatives

SIR PAC continues to meet regularly with members of Congress to gain the introduction and passage of a bill the society drafted that would increase federal funding for GME. The bill aims to redistribute unused residency slots while giving top priority for newly created primary specialties. If passed, the bill would create new slots for IR residents under the newly created IR/DR certificate. SIR hopes to have the bill incorporated into a broader GME reform bill that we anticipate will be introduced into Congress sometime in early 2016.

Key facts about the IR residency

as of Feb. 3, 2016

More detailed information regarding post-graduate training in IR can be obtained from your medical student career advisor for Radiology. Information is also available on the following Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) pages:

IR Fellowship Training

The current one-year subspecialty fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology (VIR) is being phased out and will be replaced by the new IR residency.

IR Residency Formats

The IR residency has two formats: Integrated and Independent.

The Integrated IR Residency is five-years in length (a total of six years of post-graduate training). This IR training format is available to medical students. Students apply thru the NRMP main match and begin residency training in the PGY two year. The five-year residency curriculum is concentrated on diagnostic radiology in the first three years and interventional radiology in the last two years.

The Independent IR Residency is two years in length (total of seven years of postgraduate training). This training format is available to graduates of a diagnostic radiology residency.

Some diagnostic radiology residency programs may offer additional training in IR during the diagnostic radiology residency. This advanced training is termed Early Specialization in IR (ESIR). Diagnostic radiology residents who complete ESIR training may be able to finish IR training in a total of six post-graduate years.

IR/DR certification

Graduates of an IR residency qualify to take the IR/DR examination offered by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). The IR/DR certificate recognizes competency in both diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology. Certificate holders can practice both diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology.

Internship

Both Integrated and Independent IR residency formats require a preliminary clinical internship (PGY one year). Internship training can be in surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, a surgical subspecialty or a transitional year
Approved programs will be listed on the ACGME website.

IR residency details

Options for current 4th year medical students

Medical students interested in IR who will be fourth year students starting in July 2015 and plan to enter the NRMP main match taking place in March 2016, should apply for a diagnostic radiology residency. They can then apply for an independent IR residency position after completing a DR residency. Alternatively, DR residents may be able to transfer internally into an IR residency at their home institution once their institution obtains integrated IR residency accreditation.

Integrated IR residency

As of September 2016, 61 institutions have received ACGME accreditation of their integrated IR residency programs. The Residency Review Committee (RRC) will review more program applications at its January 2017 meeting with the results available sometime in February 2017.

As of September 2016, the following programs have ACGME accredited IR residency programs:

Albany Medical Center, N.Y.
Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Program, Boston
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, Providence
Christiana Care Health Services Inc., Newark, Del.
Duke University Hospital, Durham, N.C.
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta
Georgetown University, Washington
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program, New York
Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium, Calif.
Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans
Maine Medical Center Program, Portland
Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, Lebanon, N.H.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Fla.
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn.
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, Chicago
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Program, Milwaukee, Wis.
Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Program, Charleston
Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y.
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus)
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)
New York University School of Medicine
Ohio State University Hospital, Columbus
Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, Portland, Ore.
Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Pa.
Rochester General Hospital, N.Y.
Rush University Medical Center Program, Chicago
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Stanford Hospital and Clinics Program, Calif.
Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester, N.Y.
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center Program, Los Angeles
University of Alabama Hospital, Birmingham
University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson
University of Arkansas College of Medicine Program, Little Rock
University of California (San Diego) Medical Center Program
University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville
University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago Program
University of Iowa, Iowa City
University of Kansas, Kansas City
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota Medical School Program, Minneapolis
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas
University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake
University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
Washington University, St. Louis
William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.
Yale-New Haven Medical Center Program, Conn.

ESIR programs

of Sept. 2016, 44 institutions have received approval of their Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) programs:

Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H.
Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia
Florida Hospital Medical Center, Orlando
Georgetown University Hospital, Washington
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital, N.Y.
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Manhasset, N.Y.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Integris Health, Oklahoma City
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Kaiser Permanente Southern California (Los Angeles)
Loyola University, Maywood, Ill.
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (Arizona), Phoenix
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (Jacksonville), Fla.
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Milwaukee
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, Mass.
New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla
New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus)
New York University School of Medicine
Ohio State University, Columbus
Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Calif.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L Foster School of Medicine, El Paso
University of California (Davis) Heath System
University of California (Irvine)
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City
University of Louisville School of Medicine, Ky.
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Missouri at Kansas City
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle
Washington University/B-JH/SLCH Consortium, St. Louis
William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.

Residency transfers

Within a single institution, it will be possible to transfer between the IR and DR residencies at the beginning of the PGY2, PGY3, or PGY4 year provided qualifications for transfer are met.

Articles and press releases

IR Quarterly, Spring 2015, Special Section: IR Residency:

Answering basic questions about the IR Residency plan, M. Victoria Marx, MD, FSIR (IR Quarterly, Winter 2015)
The IR residency takes one step closer, M. Victoria Marx, MD, FSIR
An interview with M. Victoria Marx, MD, FSIR, Jeremy Collins, MD.
IR residencies: High demand, low supply, Dave Tabriz, MD
The Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology Certificate and Interventional Radiology Residency by John Kaufman, MD, FSIR (Radiology, Nov. 2014)
The IR/DR Certificate and New IR Residency (IR Quarterly, Winter 2014)
Society of Interventional Radiology Hails Affirmation of Specialty’s Role in Patient Care; Read the SIR Press Release

Committees and task forces

IR Residency Task Force

Members of the IR/DR Residency Task Force serve as resources for the Radiology RRC of ACGME, key stakeholders and the society.

ABR, ACGME: Jeanne M. LaBerge, M.D., FSIR
ABR: Matthew A. Mauro, M.D., FSIR; Kay VydareN.Y., M.D.
ACR: Anne C. Roberts, M.D., FSIR
APDIR: Scott Resnick, M.D., FSIR
APDR: Jennifer E. Gould, M.D.; Mark McKinney, M.D.
CIRA: Andrew Benko, M.D.
SCARD: Valerie Jackson, M.D.
SCARD, ACR: Alan H. Matsumoto, M.D., FSIR
SIR: M. Victoria Marx, M.D., FSIR, chair; John A. Kaufman, M.D., FSIR; Daniel A. Siragusa, M.D., FSIR (Graduate Medical Education Division Councilor); James F. Benenati, M.D., FSIR; Jeffrey Carpenter, M.D.; Anne Marie Cahill, M.D.; Hyun S. Kim, M.D., FSIR; Nishita Kothary, M.D., FSIR; Derek Mittleider, M.D., MSPH; Parag Patel, M.D., William S. Rilling, M.D., FSIR
Kyle Cooper, M.D., RFS representative
SIR staff: Susan E. Sedory Holzer, MA, CAE, executive director; Tricia McClenN.Y., associate executive director; Debbie Katsarelis, senior manager, guidelines and intersociety affairs

Finance Subcommittee

The Finance Subcommittee of the IR/DR Certificate Task Force is charged with developing funding models for the IR residency that cover a wide variety of graduate medical educational structures.

SIR: M. Victoria Marx, M.D., FSIR, chair; Charles E. Ray, Jr., M.D., PhD, FSIR; Ernest J. Ring, M.D., FSIR; Raymond H. Thornton, M.D., FSIR
SIR, SCARD: Janette D. Durham, M.D., MBA, FSIR; Scott C. Goodwin, M.D., FSIR; James B. Spies, M.D., MPH, FSIR
SIR Staff: Robert White, director of reimbursement and hospital affairs

SIR Subcommittee on Implementation

The purpose of the Subcommittee is to focus on implementation strategies for the new IR residency over the ensuing years and to provide you with program planning tools and guidance on implementation.

Saher Sabri, M.D., Chair
James Benenati, M.D., FSIR
Eric Hoffer, M.D.
John Kaufman, M.D., MS, FSIR
Jeanne Laberge, M.D., FSIR
Bob Lewandowski, M.D., FSIR
M. Victoria Marx, M.D., FSIR
Mark McKinney, M.D.
Derek Mittleider , M.D., MSPH
James Silberzweig, M.D., FSIR
Rajeev Suri, M.D.

Questions?

Please contact Jennifer Goubeaux, (703) 460-5579.