RADIOLOGY RESIDENCY & IMGS
Everyone and Everybody talks about how tough Radiology is for IMGs (even for AMGs). It sure is, but for those passionate about radiology, it would be wrong to give up the dream altogether. And before you read ahead, I must stress on the two big credentials needed are Very high USMLE scores (preferable 99s) and Research publications in Radiology. The average three-digit scores of candidates matching into Diagnostic Radiology in 2007 were around 230 to 235 in both USMLE Step 1 & Step 2 CK.
Direct residency positions are sure tough for IMGs, making IMGs try indirect routes. I got to speak to a IMG Radiology faculty doc at a University hospital and he told me about his journey and what people these days do to get in. It surely takes more time, but is worth it if that's where your passion lies. He himself did a residency in Internal Medicine first and during those rotations made good contacts in the Radiology Dept. , volunteered to research and off-day observations and got into the program AFTER completing his IM residency.
The other way, which may be easier, is first doing a Radiology residency in your own home country and then applying to Radiology fellowships in USA - Read my post on Direct Fellowships without Residency - not saying Radiology residency is easy in your own countries - Radiology is pretty much a highly sought specialty after all over the world, but a radiology residency back home may be a better way to spend time rather than trying, trying and trying for US residency positions.
The competition sure is tough - even a lot of AMGs with high scores end up doing prelims and transitional years and hope to get into a Radiology program the following year. Do check out USMLEtoMD.com/imgfriendly for updated information on IMG-accepting Radiology Programs. However, remember that even if they do accept IMG applications, American Graduates are always given the first preference. And of course the IMGs with Green cards / Citizenships have an advantage...
Take home message: Don't compromise on your scores, apply to Radiology residency programs, but also apply to Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine-Peds and 1-year Preliminary Medicine spots. In case Radiology does not happen, don't lose heart - take up the backup residency, work your towards your goal slowly and strategically through exposure, experience and contacts :-) You got a better chance that way than not taking up any residency at all and wasting a year. And my advice for any tough residency specialty - always have a plan B in your home country for a Radiology residency - coz that way, the option of direct fellowships stays open too.
Also See : ERAS Application Statistics by Specialty
Q. What are the Fellowship Options After Radiology ?
A.
Google keywords to this post:
- "interventional radiology residency and imgs"
- "Direct radiology fellowships"
- "How tough is Radiology for IMGs"
- "Radiology and International medical graduates"
- "What you need to get into radiology residency"
Direct residency positions are sure tough for IMGs, making IMGs try indirect routes. I got to speak to a IMG Radiology faculty doc at a University hospital and he told me about his journey and what people these days do to get in. It surely takes more time, but is worth it if that's where your passion lies. He himself did a residency in Internal Medicine first and during those rotations made good contacts in the Radiology Dept. , volunteered to research and off-day observations and got into the program AFTER completing his IM residency.
The other way, which may be easier, is first doing a Radiology residency in your own home country and then applying to Radiology fellowships in USA - Read my post on Direct Fellowships without Residency - not saying Radiology residency is easy in your own countries - Radiology is pretty much a highly sought specialty after all over the world, but a radiology residency back home may be a better way to spend time rather than trying, trying and trying for US residency positions.
The competition sure is tough - even a lot of AMGs with high scores end up doing prelims and transitional years and hope to get into a Radiology program the following year. Do check out USMLEtoMD.com/imgfriendly for updated information on IMG-accepting Radiology Programs. However, remember that even if they do accept IMG applications, American Graduates are always given the first preference. And of course the IMGs with Green cards / Citizenships have an advantage...
Take home message: Don't compromise on your scores, apply to Radiology residency programs, but also apply to Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine-Peds and 1-year Preliminary Medicine spots. In case Radiology does not happen, don't lose heart - take up the backup residency, work your towards your goal slowly and strategically through exposure, experience and contacts :-) You got a better chance that way than not taking up any residency at all and wasting a year. And my advice for any tough residency specialty - always have a plan B in your home country for a Radiology residency - coz that way, the option of direct fellowships stays open too.
Also See : ERAS Application Statistics by Specialty
Q. What are the Fellowship Options After Radiology ?
A.
- Abdominal Radiology
- Cardiothoracic Radiology
- Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology
- Musculoskeletal Radiology
- Neuroradiology
- Nuclear Radiology
- Pediatric Radiology
- Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Google keywords to this post:
- "interventional radiology residency and imgs"
- "Direct radiology fellowships"
- "How tough is Radiology for IMGs"
- "Radiology and International medical graduates"
- "What you need to get into radiology residency"
Labels: IMGs, Radiology, Specialty Discussions
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posted by Digitaldoc, MD at 9:04 PM
Comments on "RADIOLOGY RESIDENCY & IMGS"
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (September 11, 2007 9:07 PM) :
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aquarius said ... (January 2, 2008 5:06 PM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (January 2, 2008 8:24 PM) :
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uk radiologist said ... (January 13, 2008 2:45 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (February 28, 2008 10:02 PM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (February 29, 2008 7:01 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (February 29, 2008 10:51 PM) :
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Laura said ... (December 10, 2008 5:09 PM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (December 10, 2008 7:30 PM) :
Post Your Comment !Anonymous said ... (July 25, 2006 7:39 PM) :
that was some good news!
what are the prospects and chances of getting a fellowship in radiology AFTER completing an MD RADIO course in india? is it a possible option...what are the odds?
Anonymous said ... (July 26, 2006 1:14 AM) :
hey that was sum gud info for us ppl who heard radiology is impossible for imgs.. can u tell me sumthing abt neurosurgery?? is there a direct residency or do we have to finish surgery first??
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (July 26, 2006 2:52 AM) :
Question 1 : Yeah some program offer direct fellowships to MD radiology IMGs - but without a residency , you stay "Board Eligible" , Not Board Certified, which may be frustrating later if you wanna stay in the US as most good job positions will need you to be Board Certified. Hence lotsa people who do direct fellowships then go a residency again - often at the same place that they did a fellowship - that's a good question which gives me fodder for my next blog article ! Thanks !
Question 2 : Neurosurgery is a direct residency - but not via the NRMP match ! Its via the SFmatch - SF = San Francisco - goto SFmatch.org for more info :-)
shwets said ... (July 26, 2006 6:49 AM) :
hi doc,
well my dear uncle in chicago did his md radio from india n when he got here he got intmed....so he tuk it up made gud relations with the prog directr n the radiology dept n in 2nd yr itself got a transfer ......so im sure all those who want radiology must try doin the same.... :-)
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (July 26, 2006 6:51 AM) :
Thankyou for your comment Shwets - it further reinforces what I was trying to say :-) It may sound like a long journey , but the journey itself aint bad in the US !
zindagani said ... (July 26, 2006 8:08 AM) :
hmm m nice information ... thx a lot for keeping us informed... zindagani
Anonymous said ... (July 26, 2006 9:51 AM) :
what is the difference between board eligible and board certified? for a fellowship, are the 3 steps of usmle necessary? if yes, then wouldnt clearing the steps certify u? please elaborate.
digitaldoc, u r a GEM!!
Anonymous said ... (August 30, 2006 3:35 AM) :
for doin a fellowship in radiology in d us , after havin a degree like say a DNB from Ind , do we need to have cleared the usmle ...
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (September 07, 2006 1:54 PM) :
Answer 1 =
Board Certified = Those who complete residency specialty training and pass the board exams
Board Eligible = Physicians who complete all requirements for certification except the examination may be identified as "board-eligible .
Taking the board exam itself needs some pre-requisite residency specialty training, that direct fellowships do not confer.
********
Answer 2 =
yes ! u still need the USMLEs
Anonymous said ... (January 22, 2007 6:56 PM) :
i am img radiologist with low score so hiw can i get in radiologyy
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (January 22, 2007 8:52 PM) :
you could leverage your home country radiology MD to try for direct fellowships here - have discussed that on this blog
Anonymous said ... (March 05, 2007 4:09 PM) :
Hi Doc, is there a possibility that one year of surgery residency in my home country may be accepted as a preliminary year for radiology residency? Thank you ~
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (May 17, 2007 1:31 AM) :
Read about that here on the Radiology board website
:-)
radio guy said ... (June 03, 2007 8:50 AM) :
hi im doing md radiology 4m india currently a third year student. got 93 and 98 in step 1 and ck resp. step 2 cs cleared, no US clinical experience wht r my chances of getting residency in radiology or should i apply in med. only
Digitaldoc, MD said ... (June 03, 2007 5:54 PM) :
You could try for all - there are no fixed formulas for calculating chances and stuff - research and publications in well-known american journals will obviously matter. Also, direct Fellowships are sometimes easier for IMG Radiologists than Residencies - Do read about the direct fellowships without residency link on this blog
Hi,
I'm an IMG with Step1 score 78 and Step 2 Score 81.No US clinical experience till now.I have Green card and hope to pass step 3 pretty soon.Would you reccomand me to apply for Radiology?
It would be wrong of me to recommend to anyone about NOT applying to one's specialty of choice - But yes I can surely say that it would be pretty tough to get into a Radiology residency without very high scores, Radiology Experience (Or Post-graduate Radiology training in home country) and Research, good US recommendations. A more practical choice would be to try and complete Radiology in your home country and then apply for radiology fellowships and Residency after that. But that all depends on how much you need to be in Radiology - otherwise other specialties like Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine might be much easier with that score profile and green card
I'm a radiologist on a residency program in the UK considering coming to the US for fellowship. On the american board of radiology site, it says that as part of the pathway toward board certification, there needs to be 4 years of full time continuous residency training or continuous clincal faculty experience. For this latter, does this mean, that someone doing a fellowship for 4 years in the same institution would be considered for board certification, and so a residency may not be required?
i am writingwhat i learnt from others.Regarding authenticity of the info,i cannot guarantee.may be digidoc can help us.
"yes,u can do the same fellowship for 4 years if u have good rapport with program director and then ur program director will recommend u for board examination and u can become board eligible without a residency
Choose a big university,so that u can do fellowships in 4 different radiology specialities and at the end of that u can take the board exam and become eligible.Recommendation from program director to the ABER is all that is needed for u to take up the board exam.
Another option is that after finishing a fellowship for 1 year,sometimes u will be asked to work there if there is a vacancy.The combination of fellowship+faculty for 3 years will make u eligible for board exam"
Thanks for the info - I have heard something similar but no documentable evidence yet and hence was kinda hesitant to put it up.
sorry
In my previous post,
"i am writing what i learnt.........................will make u eligible for board exam"
i made an error.Read "eligible" as "certified"
the point i wanted to make is you can work In U.S if u do fellowships for four years continously as u will be recommended for board certification by your program director.But these are rare incidences in history.
Hi!!!
Let me see if I get the proper information: I'm already a radiologist in Brazil, seeking for an ECFMG certification. After getting that, can I do a 4 year fellowship program , be pointed by my program director and be eligible for a board exam??? Is that right????
Thank you very much.
I don't think its rare - I now know more than 10 people who doing it
Yes - Dr. Laura, you got that right