Rumors of combined IR/Diagnostic Radiology Programs

[Badboyofmed]

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I've heard a few rumors of a combined Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology program which lasts for 5 years (3 years diag. and 2 years IR)...
I havent been able to find any such residency program...Does anyone know of any programs that have this....

 

[ucbdancn00]

I've heard a few rumors of a combined Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology program which lasts for 5 years (3 years diag. and 2 years IR)...
I havent been able to find any such residency program...Does anyone know of any programs that have this....

yah the program is called the DIRECT program; has only been around for a couple of years with about 15 programs offering it. haven't heard a whole lot about the competitiveness of these programs. It still ends up being about 6 years...(same as if you did DR then IR fellowship)

here's the website..http://www.theabr.org/VIR_DIRECT.htm

hope this helps.

Ucb

 

[Badboyofmed]

Thanks a lot for the website..

By the way, why does it say 12 months clinical practice: subcertification exam in IR?

Is it a better choice for someone trying to do IR vs. just doing it the old school way?

Last question, is it a lot more competitive to get in?

 

[MD Dreams]

Thanks a lot for the website..

By the way, why does it say 12 months clinical practice: subcertification exam in IR?

Is it a better choice for someone trying to do IR vs. just doing it the old school way?

Last question, is it a lot more competitive to get in?

I believe you get certified or qualify to sit for the boards after one year of private practice in IR.

Some think it's a better choice because you get more clinical training, some think the decreased amount of time with the diagnostic part can be difficult to handle.

From my understanding the top programs are competitive. It is still a relatively new idea and there are a lot of kinks to work out.

Others can tell you much more than I can. Also try a search because the issue has been discussed before and try auntminnie.com if you have not already.

 

[indiamacbean]

check out duke. 5 years

 

[ariwax]

Difficult to say whether you are describing the clinical or DIRECT pathways. The clinical pathway is a standard four year diag rads residency plus one year fellowship, along with some extra IR thrown in there along the way for a total of 17 months IR over five years. It's pretty much designed for people fresh out of med school. The DIRECT pathway, paradoxically named, allows you to apply up to two years of clinical training in other disciplines (but which basically boils down to: OB or Gen Surg) towards an IR-focused radiology residency, the diagnostic bit of which is done in three years.

Most of the programs which I've contacted do not set aside slots in their residencies for candidates pursuing straight-to-IR pathways, but rather will consider a candidate for the pathway if they are competitive enough to be accepted to the diagnostic radiology residency, and (in the case of the DIRECT) judged to be sharp enough to cover the standard four-year diag residency in an accelerated three-year course with enough aptitude to pass the boards.

The IR pathways are NOT backdoors to radiology, unfortunately, or they'd probably be a lot more popular than they already are.

 

[wes2308]

How do you find out which programs are offering these direct IR pathways. I am assuming they are out of mathch positions?

 

[ariwax]

Go to the ABR website. There are something like 14 or 15 programs offering the DIRECT pathway, and most of these positions are applied to through ERAS. There are, to my knowledge, a total of five programs that do the clinical pathway - UPenn, Dartmouth, UVa, something in SC (maybe MUSC), and one other which escapes me - and all of those positions, as I said, are applied to through the match as one would to a normal DR residency, competed for with all the other DR applicants, and are not specifically set aside for people interested in the pathway.

 

[bigfrank]

check out duke. 5 years

If you're interested in IR, this is a top-notch place, as is UCSD.

 

[f_w]

When looking for IR training, do NOT discount a place because it doesn't have a 'big name'. In reality, some of the 'big names' have lost most of their vascular work, whereas some of the less impressive sounding places have kep it.