Interventional Radiology Residency Training at Yale
Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Department offer extensive and diverse training in Vascular and Interventional Radiology. Training is conducted at Yale-New Haven Hospital, at both the main campus and the Saint Raphael campus, and at the West Haven Veterans Administration Hospital. Every year over 17,000 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are performed with approximately 11,000 patient encounters within the IR section. Each senior resident typically logs between 1500-2000 cases during their dedicated IR years.
Training includes all areas of diagnostic angiography outside of the coronary distribution. Non-invasive vascular imaging training includes CTA, US, and MRA. Vascular interventional techniques among others include: arterial and venous revascularizations (balloon angioplasty, thrombolysis, and stenting), transcatheter embolotherapy, percutaneous inferior vena cava filter placement and advanced retrieval. Additional vascular experiences includes the management of stenotic and occluded hemodialysis accesses, percutaneous creation of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS), interventional oncology, and placement of a variety of tunneled and implantable venous access devices.
Nonvascular procedures include percutaneous management of abscesses, gastrostomies, thermal ablation of tumors, and interventions in the biliary and urinary systems, such as external drainage, internal stenting, dilatation, and lithotripsy. The section also has two endoscopes for percutaneous diagnosis and intervention of the principally in the biliary system.
The Yale IR section has historically been a leader in cutting edge research, global health, and robust clinical training. There are many specialty clinics, such as the Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia clinic, that offer a unique educational experience to trainees. As Yale IR was the first program to establish a longstanding Global Outreach program in Tanzania, trainees have the opportunity to participate in this experience and establish future programs focused on increasing access to interventional radiology around the world.
Yale IR Training Programs
Yale IR residency received continued accreditation from the ACGME in 2019. We offer three IR Internship-Residency positions per year. We are accepting IR Intern-Residency applications through ERAS/NRMP on a yearly basis. Residents who complete this program are prepared for academic or private practice interventional radiology and can apply for dual diagnostic radiology/interventional radiology certification.
Eighteen integrated residents (PGY 1-6) are active in the program at any time as the program accepts three applicants per year through the National Residency Matching Program. Additional ESIR and independent IR positions are available.
Integrated IR Residency
- 6 years (3 Residents per year)
- Preliminary Year: Linked preliminary year at Yale consisting of 6 months of medicine and 6 months of surgical rotations, including one month of IR. The program does not accept applicants at the PGY-2 level who have completed internships elsewhere
- Three years of Diagnostic Radiology (DR) residency with 6-8 weeks of Interventional Radiology per year, including dedicated time on vascular ultrasound
- Two years of dedicated IR training including elective time (Peds, Neuro, IR, Vascular Surgery, Global Outreach, etc.)
Independent IR Residency
- 2 Residents total
- One or two-year IR Residency Training
- Requires completion of ACGME accredited four-year DR program - ESIR optional and accepted
- Applications through ERAS/NRMP this year for 7/1/2022 matriculation
Block Schedule
Intern Year:
- Linked internship consisting of 6 months medicine (Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, General Medicine, Hepatology, Infectious Disease, MICU, Oncology) and 6 months of surgery (Surgical Oncology, 2 months of Vascular Surgery, and General Surgery/Acute Care, Colorectal or Bariatric Surgery), including one month of Interventional Radiology.
IR1-IR3:
- Fully integrated into Yale Diagnostic Radiology Residency with 6-8 weeks of Interventional Radiology per year.
IR4-IR5:
- Dedicated IR Years with four-week rotation in each of the following: MICU, Mammography, and night float. Elective rotations including Neuro-IR, Peds IR, Global Outreach and research time are encouraged.
Weekly IR Conference Schedule
Every morning, except Wednesday, there are working/teaching rounds from 7am-8am. This allows trainees that are not currently on the IR service to participate as their clinical schedule allows. Residents on service are also expected to attend and present at the weekly chest tumor conference, liver tumor board, and a monthly interdisciplinary portal hypertension conference.
On Wednesdays, morning rounds conclude at 7:30am which are followed by a dedicated IR lecture series from 7:30 to 9:00am. Aside from lectures presented by Yale faculty, we have regular morbidity and mortality conferences, journal clubs, and Grand Rounds with distinguished speakers from around the world.
Our section chief emails weekly multidisciplinary webinars that both on and off service residents are encouraged to attend, which allows IR1-IR3s to develop foundational knowledge prior to beginning their dedicated IR years. These include biweekly “Virtual Grand Rounds in PJs,” that cover a variety of topics. There is also an extensive diagnostic radiology lecture series with 9 lectures per week.
Immersive IR Experience
Patient Care

Research

Global Outreach

On-call
On-call responsibilities include emergency coverage at the York Street and Saint Raphael Campuses of Yale-New Haven Hospital and the West Haven VA. Call responsibility starts IR1 year, and increases throughout the residency training.
Junior On-call
- IR1-IR3: As part of the diagnostic radiology rotation, IR residents cover the consult service for a week, including the following weekend. Junior residents are paired with a senior resident (IR4/IR5).
Senior On-call
- IR4/IR5: On-call is typically 1/8 with a night float system. Weekend call alternates between trainees with one trainee covering both Saturday and Sunday.