Alternate Pathway (International Medical Graduates)

 

Prerequisites and Requirements

An international medical graduate who is not planning to enter the standard residency pathway can apply to the Alternate Pathway to be considered a candidate for certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). The prerequisites and requirements are detailed below for application to the pathway.

Prerequisites

We cannot accept transcripts as proof of documentation for your prerequisites.

• Satisfy the radiation oncology training requirements of a non-U.S., non-Canadian country.
• Complete one clinical year of nonradiation oncology training in general medicine, surgery, transitional internship, or its equivalent.
  • Foreign clinical training document must state start and end dates of training.
• Complete a minimum of three years of radiation oncology training in a residency program outside the U.S. or Canada.
  • Foreign residency training document must state start and end dates of training.
• Provide documentation verifying the applicant’s ability to practice radiology independently in the country of training or board certification in their country (if applicable).
  • If an applicant is trained in India, proof of board certification is not required. However, the applicant must have the following degrees to be eligible for the Alternate Pathway: MBBS + DNB and/or MD.
  • Note: The DNB and MD degrees are specified because India does not issue “certification” from a national organization. Applicants from countries other than India are expected to provide evidence of certification along with confirmation of time served in the residency.

Requirements

• Complete four years of radiation oncology training. Training may be completed as a residency (up to three years maximum), fellowship, and/or faculty appointment in an institution with a radiation oncology training program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
  • Training must be completed within eight years from training start date.
  • It is preferred that all four years of training take place at one institution. In the event this is not possible, candidates may transfer to another program (see Transfer section, below).
  • Part-time appointments working > 0.5 FTE are allowable, as long as the equivalent of four years of training as a 1.0 FTE is completed within eight years from training start date. For example, a candidate could train years one through three as a 1.0 FTE and years four and five as a 0.5 FTE to meet the requirement of four years as a 1.0 FTE. Please contact an ABR certification manager at information@theabr.org for details.
  • Up to three years of radiation oncology residency may be counted. However, four years of radiation oncology does not qualify for the ABR Alternate Pathway, as that is the standard training pathway.
• Pass the computer-based Qualifying Exam
• Pass the oral Certifying Exam
• Provide proof of valid state or provincial medical license. For those in training, a valid training license is acceptable.
• Demonstrate high moral and ethical principles. The American Board of Radiology expects candidates for Initial Certification to uphold fundamental moral and ethical principles.

 

Application

The Board will assess the applicant’s status relative to ABR policies and the Alternate Pathways to Board Certification only after receiving the following documents:

• Radiation Oncology IMG Application Form
• Current, detailed curriculum vitae with specific dates of all training
• Verification of the following:
  • Medical school training
  • One year of clinical non-radiation oncology training in general medicine, surgery, transitional internship, or its equivalent. One year of credit for clinical training may be received.
  • Three years of radiation oncology training in a residency program outside the U.S. or Canada
  • Radiation oncology certification (if applicable)
  • Note: The board accepts copies of diplomas or letters from training institutions as verification. If original documents are not in English, an English translation must accompany them.
• Candidates will be notified when to submit the application fee
• Copy of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate or Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) certificate
• Sponsoring Department Agreement (SDA), outlining the applicant’s four-year plan.
  • The SDA is intended to be a prospective training plan. Candidates may only use up to two years of retrospective training as part of their SDA.
  • Credit for research training of up to 12 months will be granted toward radiation oncology certification if the research is completed at the same institution as the remaining clinical training.
  • Research may be approved by the ABR to meet the requirements of the Alternate Pathway program. Please submit the details for ABR review in addition to your SDA.
  • Any changes in the above requirements carried out without the written consent of the ABR will be considered as grounds for termination of the individual’s participation in the Alternate Pathway.
• Copies of United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
  • Steps 1 and 2 score reports are required
  • USMLE Step 3 is required six months before admittance to the Certifying Exam.
  • Current unrestricted medical license is required at the time of application and when certification is conferred.

 

Transfers

It is preferred that all four years of training take place at one institution. In the event this is not possible, candidates with an approved application may transfer to another program.

• It is preferred that the Sponsoring Department Agreement(s) and transfer documentation be submitted as soon as possible to ensure the maximum training credits are given. Credit can only be granted retrospectively for 24 months from the date of application.
• A maximum of two institutions can be used to accumulate the needed four years of total training.
• If a candidate with a previously approved application wishes to take the RO Qualifying Exam at the earliest opportunity (after 32 months of training completion), the transfer documentation and new Sponsoring Department Agreement must be submitted to the ABR no later than six months into the third year of training.
• If a candidate does not submit their initial application until they are at the second program, a maximum of 24 months of retrospective credit from the time of application can be awarded for the previously completed training.
• If a candidate transfers during their training, they must spend at least 24 months at the institution in which they complete their training, even if that means their total training is longer than four years.

 

Exams

Applicants have the option to take the Medical Physics for Radiation Oncology and the Radiation and Cancer Biology parts of the Qualifying Exam at any time after completing 32 months of residency training. With written approval of their program chair, this option may be exercised after completion of 24 months of training. Applicants who wish to take the exam early should have their program reach out to the ABR. Applicants may take the Clinical Radiation Oncology part of the Qualifying Exam at any time after completion of 44 months of training. To be eligible to take the Certifying Exam, applicants must have passed all three qualifying exam parts and completed their four years of approved training.  

More Information

Recognition of Successful Candidates

Successful candidates are awarded a continuous ABR specialty certificate in radiation oncology.

Board Eligibility

See Board Eligibility Policy for details.

Fees