Interventional Radiology Integrated Residency
We offer both a one-year fellowship in Interventional Radiology and a five-year integrated residency in Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology. Our comprehensive training programs offer high quality training through tailored didactic education and multimodality hands-on experience. Trainees have the opportunity to rotate through several large specialized hospitals:
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Memorial Hermann Hospital
CHI St. Luke’s Medical Center
Texas Children’s Hospital
The affiliated training institutions are located in the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest comprehensive medical center in the world. The Texas Medical Center boasts a 675-acre complex of 41 not-for-profit healthcare institutions, including 14 hospitals dedicated to patient care, research and education. The institutions of the TMC conduct more than $350 million in funded research and record more than 3.8 million annual patient visits. With more than 50,000 employees and rising, the Texas Medical Center is collectively the largest employer in the city of Houston, Texas.
Sponsoring Organization
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), the world’s largest comprehensive cancer center, is dedicated to the mission of eliminating cancer through promotion of mission patient care, research, education and prevention.
MD Anderson Cancer Center, which has been ranked as the #1 cancer hospital in nine of the last 10 years by the U.S. News & World Report. The training program is primarily directed and organized by MDACC faculty and staff. The exposure at MD Anderson provides a unique and intense focus on oncologic applications, which is nicely complemented with rotations at the other training centers. Facilities are state-of-the-art. The program also offers a dedicated pre-clinical research laboratory, the John S. Dunn Research Foundation Center for Radiological Sciences. This high-quality animal research facility is equipped with two angiography suites, a CT scanner and veterinary and basic science laboratory services to fully accommodate the interventional research scientist.
The new state-of the art Pavilion offers:
- Eight procedure rooms (two hybrid technology suites and six advanced imaging suites) opening June 2016, with space for two future rooms
- A hybrid OR that allows multidisciplinary procedures and operations to be performed in a minimally invasive fashion
- Procedure rooms with combined angiography, CT and ultrasound capabilities that will eliminate the need for multiple patient visits
A private waiting area for patients and families
The new procedure rooms are modern, clean, spacious and uncluttered to create a reassuring environment for patients undergoing minimally invasive procedures while only mildly sedated and quite aware of their surroundings. All of the procedure rooms also accommodate anesthesia, include advanced audio and visual integration, and have control rooms. The Pavilion will allow Interventional Radiology to treat more patients and improve their experience at MD Anderson.
“This facility is unmatched in commitment to the future of more accurate diagnoses, more effective therapies and less pain and suffering for our patients,” says Marshall Hicks, M.D., division head of Diagnostic Imaging. “It’s unmatched in technology, but it’s also unmatched in the people committed to our mission of eliminating cancer."
A Legacy to Remember
Michael Wallace, M.D., chair ad interim for Interventional Radiology, passed away May 31, 2016 from kidney cancer. He was an innovator in the field and one of the champions for the creation of an Interventional Radiology department. He pushed for working with cutting-edge technology, which was key to the department’s new space in The Pavilion.
“He envisioned the design of this facility and played an important role in the leadership of Interventional Radiology, following in his father’s footsteps,” says Thomas Buchholz, M.D., executive vice president and physician-in-chief. “Without Mike, this probably wouldn’t have ever happened.”
The new hybrid OR brings angiography and CT together in a room where surgeons can operate in collaboration with Interventional Radiology to do hybrid procedures and push the envelope on therapy. Wallace envisioned doing this combination technology.
Affiliated Organizations
MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL
Memorial Hermann Hospital is the primary teaching hospital for The University of Texas-Houston Medical School. This Level 1 trauma center operates more than 650 beds, 41% of which consist of monitored and critical care beds. Among the many exposures at Memorial Herman Hospital, trainees learn trauma management and pediatric procedures.
LYNDON B. JOHNSON HOSPITAL
Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital is a 235 licensed-bed acute care hospital that provides an array of specialized medical and surgical services staffed by the The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). LBJ Hospital is one of the state's busiest Level III trauma center, with more than 70,000 emergency patient visits each year and also carries the distinction of being a regional center for neonatal intensive care for high-risk deliveries and very low birth weight.
CHI ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER
CHI St. Luke’s Medical Center houses the Texas Heart Institute, one of the nation’s leading institutions devoted to cardiovascular medicine. St. Luke’s facilities include 750 inpatient beds as well as a 29-story outpatient medical office building. In addition, it is a leading center for liver transplantation. This is the primary teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine. St. Luke’s Medical Center exposes the trainees to a breadth of non-oncologic and oncologic procedures.
TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Texas Children's Hospital is the largest children’s hospital in the United States, with 639 licensed beds and 465 beds in operation and a wide array of specialized pediatric services. As of the 2016-17 rankings report, U.S. News & World Report has ranked TCH as #4 amongst 200 ediatric hospitals in the nation for eight consecutive years.
Our Training and Educational Experience
Our comprehensive training curriculum affords a phenomenal opportunity for physicians who aspire to become future leaders in shaping the future of medicine through the specialty of interventional radiology.
Our training program includes exposure to all facets of the practice of Interventional Radiology, with emphasis on clinical evaluation and patient management. Residents and fellows will be trained in clinical evaluation, non-procedural longitudinal patient management, peri-procedural care, and service/resource management. Clinical workup and follow ups include problem-based consults, pre-procedure evaluation, and post-procedure follow up encounters. Our IR expectations are to provide training for fully integrated inpatient and outpatient capabilities including IR admissions and consult service.
Through our multicenter facilities, trainees are exposed to a breadth of diseases and case types including:
Routine Vascular Interventions
- Arterial arteriograms, angioplasty & stent deployment
- Uterine artery embolization
- Vascular surgery exposure (aortic and carotid artery management)
- Venous thrombolysis and stent deployment
- IVC placement
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Porto-systemic Stenting (TIPPS)
- Emergency Embolization
- Dialysis Access (Fistula and Graft management)
Routine Oncologic Interventions
- Chemoembolization
- Radioembolization
- Percutaneous Ablations (Radiofrequency, Microwave, and Cryo ablations)
- MRI interventions
- Routine non-vascular interventional procedures
- Percutaneous biopsies
- Tube placements
- Drain placements
- Central venous catheter placements
Conferences
We offer exposure to a variety of diagnostic and interventional radiology conferences at all of our institutions. In addition, trainees are expected to attend annual radiology boards review courses both in Houston and out of state.
Multidisciplinary conferences include:
- MD Anderson Hepatobiliary Conference
- MD Anderson Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
- MD Anderson IR Visiting Lecturer Seminars
- Didactic Fellowship Lecture Series
- Memorial Hermann Hospital Vascular Disease Conference
- St. Luke’s Vascular Disease Conference
Integrated Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology Residency Applicants
Established in 2016, the Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology (IR/DR) training program is accredited by the Residency Review Committee for Radiology of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The five-year advanced program provides a broad range of pertinent clinical experience and didactic instruction. To be eligible residents must hold a valid MD degree and must have successfully completed a preliminary/transitional year in surgery, internal
medicine, pediatrics or another subspecialty.
The Integrated IR Residency is five years in length (a total of six years of post-graduate training). This IR training format is available to medical students. Students apply thru the ERAS & NRMP main match and begin residency training in the PGY two year. The residency curriculum is concentrated on diagnostic radiology in the first three years and interventional radiology in the last two years.
IR/DR Certification
Graduates of an IR residency qualify to take the IR/DR examination offered by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). The IR/DR certificate recognizes competency in both diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology. Certificate holders can practice both diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology.
Internship
Both Integrated and Independent IR residency formats require a preliminary clinical internship (PGY one year). Internship training can be in surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, a surgical subspecialty or a transitional year. Approved programs will be listed on the ACGME website.
Trainees will be expected to maintain a high quality of patient care in both the diagnostic and interventional rotations.
Interviews are conducted from October through January. The first matched class will begin July 2018.
To apply:
Access ERAS Application on AAMC Website
Interventional Radiology Fellowship Applicants
Our Fellowship program has been established since April 2007 and is accredited by the Residency Review Committee for Radiology of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This one-year program provides a broad range of pertinent clinical experience and didactic instruction in essentially all areas needed to obtain a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) from the American Board of Radiology.
Interviews are conducted from January through March.
Interested applicants must apply through ERAS at the AAMC website. Traditionally each year ERAS opens on December 1 and applicants can begin to apply at that time.
Fellowship candidates must have completed an ACGME approved (or equivalent) residency training program in diagnostic radiology and should be board-certified or eligible by the American Board of Radiology. A fellowship appointment is contingent upon obtaining a Postgraduate Resident Permit or license, required by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, and appropriate visa status and any additional documentation necessary. Appointees must provide suitable documentation of immunization or immunity for various communicable diseases prior to starting a clinical program.
Effective January 1, 2015, MD Anderson instituted a tobacco-free hiring and appointment process as part of its efforts to encourage good health and to remain true to our mission to end cancer. A urine drug screening for the purpose of detecting the presence of drugs and tobacco compounds will be performed if required as a contingency in your offer. Urine testing for drugs and tobacco compounds is required for all individuals who will be paid by MD Anderson regardless of citizenship.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A TRAINEE: You will be paid and will be eligible for benefits at MD Anderson you will be tested for tobacco compounds as part of the urine drug screening requirements to be appointed at MD Anderson. If you do not pass the urine drug screening which includes testing for tobacco compounds you CANNOT be appointed at MD Anderson, and you must wait for 180 days before you can re-apply for your appointment. Non-U.S. Citizens: If you require a sponsored non-immigrant temporary visa to be supported or if you currently hold a sponsored non-immigrant temporary visa it is important to understand that the urine drug test can only be performed at MD Anderson at the time you check-in or before beginning your appointment; failing the urine drug test may impact your sponsored temporary non-immigrant visa, including the possibility of you having to depart the U.S. and possibly not being eligible to return on a new sponsored temporary non-immigrant visa.
Faculty
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mohamed Abdelsalam, M.D., M.Sc.
Kamran Ahrar, M.D.
Judy Ahrar, M.D.
Rony Avritscher, M.D.
Erik N. Cressman, Ph.D., M.D.
Sanjay Gupta, M.D.
Marshall E. Hicks, M.D.
Steven Huang, M.D.
Joshua Kuban, M.D.
Armeen Mahvash, M.D.
Stephen E. McRae, M.D.
Ravi Murthy, M.D.
Bruno C. Odisio, M.D.
Sharjeel H. Sabir, M.D.
Rahul A. Sheth, M.D.
Joseph R. Steele, M.D.
Alda Tam, M.D., M.B.A.
Steven M. Yevich, M.D., M.P.H.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston & Memorial Hermann Hospital
Aaron J. Baxter, M.D., FRCPC
Alan M. Cohen, M.D.
Polina N. Kyriakides, M.D.
Anil K. Pillai, M.D.
Derek L. West, M.D.
Rodrick C. Zvavanjanja, M.D.
Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital
Aaron J. Baxter, M.D., FRCPC
Alan M. Cohen, M.D.
Polina N. Kyriakides, M.D.
Anil K. Pillai, M.D.
Derek L. West, M.D.
Rodrick C. Zvavanjanja, M.D
CHI St. Luke’s Medical Center
Stephen E. Dreyer, M.D.
John H. Fischer, II, M.D.
Mary E. Round, M.D.
Sagar A. Naik, M.D.
Mark D. Skolkin, M.D.
Barry D. Toombs, M.D.
Charles Trinh, M.D.
Texas Children’s Hospital
Kamlesh Kukreja, M.D.
Jose Hernandez, M.D.
Christopher Cassady, M.D.
Sheena Pimpalwar, M.D.
Gregory Garner, M.D.
Daniel Ashton, M.D.
Contact
Department of Interventional Radiology, Unit 1471
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030-4009
Phone: 713-563-7854
Stephen E. McRae, M.D.
Program Director
Email: smcrae@mdanderson.org
Joshua Kuban, M.D.
Associate Program Director
Email: jdkuban@mdanderson.org
Sandra Oldham, M.D.
Associate Program Director
Email: Sandra.A.Oldham@uth.tmc.edu
Wanda Novak
Program Coordinator
Email: wnovak@mdanderson.org