Pathways

How to apply for the IR independent residency

• The independent IR residency participates in both the NRMP NRMP Specialties Match Program (SMS®) and the ERAS® ACGME/RCPSC/UCNS Fellowship - December cycle. Both ERAS and NRMP classify the independent IR residency as a fellowship for match purposes. There is only one match for the independent IR residency.
• Applicants may purchase fellowship tokens via the ERAS® Electronic Fellowship Document's Office (EFDO). Applications for participating programs in open in November. Be sure to check with ERAS® for the most up-to-date application dates.

Selecting a track in ERAS®

Diagnostic radiology residents apply for the independent IR residency as an ESIR or as a non-ESIR applicant. To apply as an ESIR applicant, you must be accepted into an Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) curriculum within your diagnostic radiology residency. 

When you apply to each program in ERAS®, only apply through one training track based on your ESIR status (see example below of how programs look in ERAS®). ESIR and non-ESIR training tracks do not represent specific ESIR and non-ESIR positions within independent programs; your selected track only represents your current ESIR status. Applying through both tracks confers no match advantage and may cause confusion for program directors.

Most programs will accept applications from both types of applicants (see Program A example below), but a few will only accept applications from either ESIR or non-ESIR applicants (see Program B example below).

Most programs will review applications from both ESIR and non-ESIR candidates and will interview/rank candidates based on application quality and not whether candidates will train as an independent IR resident for 1 or 2 years. We encourage all applicants to discuss this with programs.

Do you qualify for the ESIR track?

Apply as an ESIR applicant only if you are already accepted into an ACGME-approved ESIR curriculum. 

• If you are applying as an ESIR applicant but are willing to train for 2 years as an independent IR resident, do not apply through the non-ESIR track. Include information in your personal statement that you are willing to train for 2 years.
• If you expect to be accepted into an ACGME-approved curriculum after you apply for the independent IR residency (i.e., your DR program’s ESIR curriculum won’t be reviewed until January, etc.), use these guidelines to apply for programs:

1. 1. For programs accepting both ESIR and non-ESIR applicants (see Program A example above): only apply through the non-ESIR applicant track. This is your current ESIR status. Include information about your expected future ESIR acceptance in your personal statement, so program directors know you will likely complete an ESIR curriculum.
   2. For programs only accepting ESIR applicants (see Program B example above): apply through the ESIR applicant track. Include information about your expected future ESIR acceptance in your personal statement, so program directors know you are currently non-ESIR but will likely complete an ESIR curriculum.
   3. It will be up to individual programs to determine whether they will consider your application based on your specific situation.

What information must ESIR applicants provide?

ESIR applicants must provide the following in their independent IR residency applications:

• A paragraph in their personal statement describing their expected ESIR experience. This paragraph should include the following information:
• A statement that you are selected for ESIR
• Your expected number of procedures, including a brief description of procedure mix
• The IR related rotations you expect to complete
• The Diagnostic Radiology Program Director Standardized Letter of Recommendation. This should be one of your four allowed letters of recommendation. ESIR applicants should give the standardized letter template to their diagnostic radiology program director who must complete all four sections before uploading the letter to the ERAS Letter of Recommendation Portal (LoRP). Sections include:
• Applicant and program director data
• Diagnostic radiology program director letter of recommendation
• Block training diagram for R1–R4 years
• Diagnostic radiology program director ESIR acceptance statement

Non-ESIR Applicants do not need to use the ESIR Applicant Diagnostic Radiology Program Director Standardized Letter template.