About the Program

Currently, the Interventional Radiology - Independent Program at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics offers one position per year. An ESIR trainee will enter in year two, and non-ESIR will complete the full two-year position. View the IR pathways to DR/IR ABR certification.  

This training program provides a strong emphasis on clinical care and procedural training at a leading academic institution that will prepare the trainee for practice in either private or academic settings. UI Hospitals & Clinics is a leading busy tertiary care hospital and level-1 trauma center, an American Cancer Society Center of Excellence, and a major transplantation center. Trainees will thus be exposed to broad spectrum of cases in interventional oncology, vascular disease, GI, GU, women’s health, and pediatric intervention. The trainee will be expected to perform over 1000 VIR procedures during the year.

Case mix includes:

  • TIPS
  • PTC
  • PCN
  • TACE
  • Radioembolization
  • Tumor ablation
  • Entire embolotherapy spectrum
  • Peripheral and visceral arteriography
  • Thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy
  • Balloon angioplasty
  • Stenting
  • Atherectomy

A unique feature of our program is the close rapport between IR and vascular surgery, allowing the fellow to be closely involved in many aspects of peripheral arterial disease diagnosis and management. The trainee will have a one-month rotation on vascular surgery, further enriching his/her experience in vascular care, including exposure to vascular interventions, carotid stenting, and endovascular aneurysm repair. The trainee will also be a part of the new state-of-the art University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital which opened in 2017.

ACGME Program Requirements for GME in Interventional Radiology

There are three pathways to DR/IR board certification:

  • IR Integrated
    • 1+5 (intern, 5 years combined DR and IR)
  • IR Independent
    • 1+4+2 (intern, 4 years DR, 2 years IR)
  • ESIP-IR Independent
    • 1+(3+1)+1 (intern, 3 years DR, 1 year ESIR, 1 year IR)
    • Sometimes runs as a 1 + 3:2 model

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