Interventional Radiology Residency Curriculum
The U-M Medical School Department of Radiology's Interventional Radiology Residency program offers a wide range of training opportunities across specialties.
Rotations provide residents with in-depth expertise across a variety of training locations.
Program Highlights
This is a six-year categorical residency, including an internship with the Department of Surgery. The Surgery internship includes 11 sub-specialized surgical rotations including Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical ICU. One rotation is reserved for IR.
Residents gain experience across the full spectrum of modern interventional radiology with one of the highest trainee-to-procedure ratios in the country. Graduated autonomy allows residents to become confident primary operators early in training while continuing to tackle increasingly complex procedures throughout residency.
In just the last academic year, as a group, the PGY-6 trainees accomplished the following (with approximate volume of cases in parentheses). My hope is to show, not tell, our volume and variety.
| Procedures | Case Volume (approximate) |
| Peripheral arterial disease and limb preservation | 80 |
| Complex venous reconstruction | 120 |
| Aortic interventions | 50 |
| Portal hypertension and TIPS | 80 |
| Interventional oncology | 150 |
| Ablations | 70 |
| Pain interventions | 150 |
| Prostate artery embolization | 120 |
| Women's health (UFE's) | 40 |
| Trauma and emergency embolizations | 150 |
Michigan Longitudinal IR Curriculum
Traditionally, the integrated IR/DR training pathway provides diagnostic radiology training during the R1-to R3 years while reserving majority of the IR experience for the later years of residency.
At Michigan, we believe that becoming an exceptional interventional radiologist requires something more: continuous engagement with IR throughout training.
For this reason, our curriculum is intentionally designed so that every resident maintains regular clinical and procedural involvement with Interventional Radiology—regardless of their current diagnostic radiology rotation.
Every month, each IR resident, regardless of what rotation they are on:
- Serves as the primary operator in our dedicated Resident IR room, covering a mix of vascular access cases and in-patient add-on’s
- Participates in an Interventional Radiology clinic
- Attends monthly IR case conference
- Attends monthly IR M&M
This allows each resident to:
- Reconnect with IR faculty, fellows, advanced practice providers, nurses, and technologists
- Strengthens both procedural skills and clinical decision-making through direct patient care starting in their first month as an R1
These recurring IR touchpoints create a longitudinal educational experience that reinforces technical proficiency, clinical confidence, and professional identity from the beginning of residency through graduation. Because this experience begins early in residency and continues longitudinally, residents build technical confidence through repetition while maintaining continuous procedural engagement even during diagnostic radiology rotations.
Rather than experiencing Interventional Radiology in isolated blocks, our residents grow within the specialty every month of training.
Building Two Complementary Identities
We believe exceptional Interventional Radiologists possess two inseparable identities.
The first is that of an outstanding diagnostic radiologist, capable of interpreting complex imaging and serving as an expert consultant.
The second is that of a clinical interventional radiologist, comfortable evaluating patients, managing longitudinal care, leading multidisciplinary discussions, and performing technically demanding procedures.
Our Michigan Longitudinal IR Curriculum is intentionally designed to develop both identities simultaneously during the early years rather than sequentially. By weaving meaningful IR clinical and procedural experiences throughout residency, residents remain connected to the specialty while continuing to build a strong foundation in diagnostic radiology.
The result is graduates who are equally comfortable at the workstation, in clinic, and in the procedure suite.
Training Highlights
Michigan VIR performs over a 100 aortic interventions a year. Working alongside vascular surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, residents participate in complex endovascular aortic care including:
- Complex interventions such as SAFARI for CLI in VA and CVC
- Complex aortic interventions including TEVAR and aortic fenestration for dissection
- Endoleak management
- Access and participation in non-invasive vascular lab (500 examinations required as a prerequisite for RPVI)
This multidisciplinary collaboration provides unique exposure to advanced aortic disease rarely available in most residencies.
Our nationally-recognized venous health program (VHP) exposes residents to the full spectrum of acute and chronic venous disease, including iliocaval reconstruction, post-thrombotic syndrome, deep venous recanalization, complex IVC pathology, DVT intervention, venous stenting, and advanced venous imaging. We have one of the highest volumes of complex venous interventions in the country and residents graduate comfortable treating patients with some of the most challenging venous disorders encountered in practice.
- Multidisciplinary conferences and clinics
- Liver Oncology (TACE, Y90, ablation)
- Renal, lung, and bone ablations
- Large volume lymphatic interventions
- Lymphatic treatments related to iatrogenic complications
- Lymphatic treatments related to congenital malformations
Portal hypertension care at Michigan extends far beyond performing TIPS.
Residents participate in dedicated multidisciplinary conferences with hepatology, transplant surgery, gastroenterology, and IR to collaboratively discuss complex patients.
This longitudinal exposure develops the judgment required to determine not simply how to perform a portal hypertension procedure, but whether it is the right treatment for each patient.
Residents participate in:
- Portal hypertension clinic and conference
- Complex portal venous interventions (TIPS, BRTO, BATO, recanalization)
- Biliary endoscopy (stone removal and biopsy)
- Free standing Children and Women’s Hospital with IR suite
- Multidisciplinary vascular malformation conference and clinic
- Pediatric renal and biliary interventions
- Pediatric portal hypertension clinics
- Pediatric arterial disease and vascular anomalies
- Pediatric vascular access
- Percutaneous transesophageal enteric tube placement
- Large volume gastric and small bowel tube placement
- Large volume renal and biliary tube placement
- Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy with Urology
U-M is among a small number of institutions offering a dedicated multidisciplinary Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) clinic which was co-developed by IR and Urology.
Residents evaluate patients alongside Interventional Radiologists and Urologists, discuss medical, interventional, and surgical treatment options, and follow patients from initial consultation through long-term follow-up.
This experience provides a comprehensive understanding of BPH management that extends well beyond procedural technique.
Michigan VIR performs over 150 PAE’s and sees over 400 consultations for BPH every year.
