RADIOLOGY RESIDENCY & IMGS / FMGs
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.
I only got to speak to one IMG Radiology faculty 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.
Ofcourse, I need to talk to more guys before we get a consensus on what the best approaches should be, but I put this up to say that it ain't impossible. Someone posted on my yahoo groups that US had only 140 seats for Radiology.
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 IMGfriendly.blogspot.com for updated information on IMG-accepting Radiology Programs. However, do remember that even if they do accept IMGs, Americal Graduates are always given the first preference. And ofcourse the IMGs with Green cards / Citizenships have an advantage...
Take home message : Apply to Radiology residency programs, but also apply to backups in other specialties! In case Radio 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.
Secondly, let me add Green Card - Citizenship status is a definite advantage..
In 2005, around 900 IMGs applied to Diagnostic Radiology programs with an average 23-24 applications per candidate ! Also See : ERAS Application Statistics by Specialty
Q. What are the Fellowship Options After Radiology ?
A.
Direct Radiology Fellowships without Residency ?
a quick update - a friend on mine got a direct Radiology Fellowship on an H1b Visa at the prestigious Washington University of St. Louis, MO. Lotsa good universities often have vacant fellowship positions ! Ofcourse he had finished all USMLE steps including Step 3 ! To accomodate board certification issues, the program will be making him complete an extra year of fellowsihp - but I will have to dig more into it to find verified information.
Read about Fellowships without Residency for IMGs Here.
Related Links:
-Radiology Salaries (USA)
-American College or Radiology
-American Board of 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"
Questions for me ? Use my USMLE - Residency Forum
I only got to speak to one IMG Radiology faculty 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.
Ofcourse, I need to talk to more guys before we get a consensus on what the best approaches should be, but I put this up to say that it ain't impossible. Someone posted on my yahoo groups that US had only 140 seats for Radiology.
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 IMGfriendly.blogspot.com for updated information on IMG-accepting Radiology Programs. However, do remember that even if they do accept IMGs, Americal Graduates are always given the first preference. And ofcourse the IMGs with Green cards / Citizenships have an advantage...
Take home message : Apply to Radiology residency programs, but also apply to backups in other specialties! In case Radio 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.
Secondly, let me add Green Card - Citizenship status is a definite advantage..
In 2005, around 900 IMGs applied to Diagnostic Radiology programs with an average 23-24 applications per candidate ! 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
Direct Radiology Fellowships without Residency ?
a quick update - a friend on mine got a direct Radiology Fellowship on an H1b Visa at the prestigious Washington University of St. Louis, MO. Lotsa good universities often have vacant fellowship positions ! Ofcourse he had finished all USMLE steps including Step 3 ! To accomodate board certification issues, the program will be making him complete an extra year of fellowsihp - but I will have to dig more into it to find verified information.
Read about Fellowships without Residency for IMGs Here.
Related Links:
-Radiology Salaries (USA)
-American College or Radiology
-American Board of 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: Radiology Residency
Questions for me ? Use my USMLE - Residency Forum
posted by Digitaldoc, MD at 11:51 AM
Comments on "RADIOLOGY RESIDENCY & IMGS / FMGs"
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Anonymous said ... (July 25, 2006 7:39 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (July 26, 2006 1:14 AM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (July 26, 2006 2:52 AM) :
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shwets said ... (July 26, 2006 6:49 AM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (July 26, 2006 6:51 AM) :
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zindagani said ... (July 26, 2006 8:08 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (July 26, 2006 9:51 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (August 30, 2006 3:35 AM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (September 07, 2006 1:54 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (January 22, 2007 6:56 PM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (January 22, 2007 8:52 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (March 05, 2007 4:09 PM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (May 17, 2007 1:31 AM) :
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radio guy said ... (June 03, 2007 8:50 AM) :
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Digitaldoc, MD said ... (June 03, 2007 5:54 PM) :
post a commentthat 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?
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??
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 :-)
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.... :-)
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 !
hmm m nice information ... thx a lot for keeping us informed... zindagani
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!!
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 ...
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
i am img radiologist with low score so hiw can i get in radiologyy
you could leverage your home country radiology MD to try for direct fellowships here - have discussed that on this blog
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 ~
Read about that here on the Radiology board website
:-)
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
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