Training by the Numbers: A Survey-Based Analysis of the Number of Positions Available in New Interventional Radiology Training Pathways

Abstract Objective As of June 30, 2020, interventional radiology (IR) fellowships will cease to exist and will be replaced by the Integrated IR, Independent IR, and Early Specialization in IR (ESIR) pathways. The objective of this study is to determine the alignment in the number of available positions between the ESIR and Independent IR pathways. Methods An analysis was performed of 150 residency programs offering at least one of the three IR training pathways. Information regarding the most up-to-date list for Integrated IR, Independent IR, ESIR, and IR fellowship programs were obtained from the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) websites. A four-question survey was distributed to residency program directors and residency program coordinators to confirm the number of positions offered in each of the training pathways at their institution. Results Ninety-nine of 113 ESIR programs (87.6% response rate) reported a total of 176 approved ESIR positions. 111 fellowship programs in the United States currently offer a total of 331 positions. 77 Integrated IR programs and 48 Independent IR programs offer 150 and 133 positions, respectively, for a total of 283 advanced IR training positions. Discussion A substantial discrepancy currently exists with IR training pathways, as the number of available ESIR positions far outnumbers the available Independent IR pathway positions. There is a continuing need for communication with residency programs and frequent re-evaluation of the various IR training pathways to maintain the most accurate database