Interventional radiology (IR) was officially recognised as a primary medical specialty in the USA by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) in 2012. This marked a significant milestone for the field, which had previously been considered a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology (DR). With 12 years of specialty distinction, Interventional News spoke to Parag Patel (Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA) who debriefed on their progress so far.
In the decade that followed the ABMS distinction, the crucial development of new training pathways in the USA dedicated to both DR and IR was a highlight for Patel. In 2014, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) followed the ABMS distinction by approving a dedicated training pathway—the integrated IR residency—which replaced the traditional model of completing a DR residency followed by an IR fellowship. “This is a further commitment to clinical care for our patients as this was mandated within the training programmes,” Patel said.
“We now recruit the best and brightest senior medical students into IR. The talent pool is extraordinary and these will be our future leaders in the field.” In 2024, the results of the main residency match announced via the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) found that that IR-integrated spaces were the fifth-highest percentage (91.4%) among positions filled with US seniors. Although falling short of the 100% match rate that was achieved in 2022 and 2023, nearly all available resident positions for DR (97.9%) and IR (98%) were filled in 2024.
“Furthermore, we have seen increased opportunities for specialty representation that would have otherwise been relinquished to DR alone. The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) represent DR, radiation oncology, and IR. However, it is highly unusual for DR to be asked to represent radiation oncology for any clinical committees or guideline development.”
Similarly, with the recognition of IR as a distinct specialty, Patel stated that it would hold that the specialty should be provided its own representation at these discussions when appropriate.
“For example, interventional radiology should not rely on diagnostic radiology colleagues to support therapeutic interventions within National Comprehensive Cancer Network [NCCN] guideline development. Interventional radiology is best suited to voice the role of minimally-invasive interventional therapies for patients that are most suitable.”
In 2023, Patel concluded his term as president of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), having progressed along the four-year pathway through secretary, president-elect, president and past president roles. He commented that the growth of IR in the USA has informed the direction of the SIR, with distinct primary specialty recognition allowing the society to advocate for board certified interventional radiologists. “In doing so, we are able to support interventional radiologists to pursue credentialing and hospital privileges specifically for procedures that would have otherwise not been available to them.”
