IR and DIRECT program

[Medkid619]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the DIRECT program for IR? I spoke with some diagnostic rads and they said that it would actually be a hinderance to anyone that wanted to practice in community rads. Personally, I find myself more of an IR person. I'm a big tech/computer guy but also like interacting with pts (not the stereotypical radiologist). I'm struggling with the fact that rads has the stereotype of being in a dark room all day. As an M3, I haven't had much exposure to rad and only spent a day with an IR doc. I thought IR was awesome and I was very much considering the DIRECT program. Any input/thoughts about the program would be helpful, or anyone that can dispel the myth about pt interaction. Thanks.

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[irwarrior]

Yes, the DIRECT pathway is great if you know you want to do interventional. You get 21 months of IR 27 months of diagnostic and 24 months of clinical rotations. So almosta 2, 2, 2 year rotation. This is great if you want to come out being very strong in IR.

The radiology boards is changed and so now any radiology resident is allowed to do up to 16 months of one subspecialty. And in the case of IR you could do the following

12 months of internship
3 years of radiology (4 months of IR during those 36 months)
1 year of IR during residency (12 months)
1 year IR fellowship

So in 6 years you could do 28 months IR; 32 months diagnostics and 12 months clinical rotations outside of IR. Again this applies to any radiology resident provided you have the blessings of your program director.

Hope that helps.

It is a fun field.

 

[UditNarayan]

Yes, the DIRECT pathway is great if you know you want to do interventional. You get 21 months of IR 27 months of diagnostic and 24 months of clinical rotations. So almosta 2, 2, 2 year rotation. This is great if you want to come out being very strong in IR.

The radiology boards is changed and so now any radiology resident is allowed to do up to 16 months of one subspecialty. And in the case of IR you could do the following

12 months of internship
3 years of radiology (4 months of IR during those 36 months)
1 year of IR during residency (12 months)
1 year IR fellowship

So in 6 years you could do 28 months IR; 32 months diagnostics and 12 months clinical rotations outside of IR. Again this applies to any radiology resident provided you have the blessings of your program director.

Hope that helps.

It is a fun field.

IRWARRIOR - thanks so much for the info! I am also extremely interested in IR, and with the current way that the DIRECT programs are set-up (i.e. with that extra clinical, or in some cases "extra intern year") would you recommend these programs? It seems that through the clinical route with the new emphasis on a pseudo fellowship year during residency, one could spend A LOT of time in IR anyway... What then would be the advantage, if any, of doing the DIRECT program?

Thanks!

 

[irwarrior]

Good question. If your radiology program director is willing to give you 16 months of IR etc during your 4 years of radiology training, then I think it is very comparable to a DIRECT pathway in training. But, the problem is will the program director allow this?

The DIRECT pathway gives you an extra year of clinical so you have 2 years of medicine or surgery and that 2nd year is good in the sense that it gives you some clinical autonomy. But, this is in lieu of some amount of imaging and IR.

There are going to be several ways to train to do IR and the key is to go to a place with a strong IR program with good clinical training.

 

[Fable]

anyone hear of any open IR spots for this July 2010?

 

[dusselas]

Good question. If your radiology program director is willing to give you 16 months of IR etc during your 4 years of radiology training, then I think it is very comparable to a DIRECT pathway in training. But, the problem is will the program director allow this?

The DIRECT pathway gives you an extra year of clinical so you have 2 years of medicine or surgery and that 2nd year is good in the sense that it gives you some clinical autonomy. But, this is in lieu of some amount of imaging and IR.

There are going to be several ways to train to do IR and the key is to go to a place with a strong IR program with good clinical training.

What is the drawback for someone with low board scores, ie who may not be able to match into radiology, who is thinking of applying to neurology in order to eventually end up doing interventional neuroradiology, ie ESNR?

 

[MossPoh]

This is more out of curiosity since I'm a long way away from worrying about it still. It seems many programs for DIRECT programs say you can come straight out of medical school OR do 2 years of clinical and then apply. If someone were doing IM, would it not be permitted or frowned upon to finish out that third year of clinical work? That is assuming all the radiology requires stay the same.

 

[mayberads]

Are direct programs more or less competitive to get compared to regular 5 year radiology spots?

 

[ericdoc]

I am interested in applying into the DIRECT pathway. I have found it difficult to determine which programs are good. What would you say are the top IR programs? Thanks for your help!

 

[irwarrior]

I have heard that UVA ,UPen,Georgetown, SUNY, U of Arkansas are all quite good.

 

[Labslave]

I am interested in applying into the DIRECT pathway. I have found it difficult to determine which programs are good. What would you say are the top IR programs? Thanks for your help!

UVA, PENN, Northwestern, Brown, BWH, Stanford, Hopkins. Emory is also really strong, although I don't know that I would include them in the above group.