International Medical Graduate Alternate Pathway Update
By Cheri L. Canon, MD, ABR President, and John A. Kaufman, MD, MS, ABR President-elect
2025;18(3):3
The ABR’s International Medical Graduate (IMG) Alternate Pathway offers a way for individuals trained in residencies outside the United States and Canada to become board certified. The pathway represents the ABR’s interest in recognizing the knowledge and skill of appropriately trained and highly qualified people from around the world.
We have revised the pathway several times in the past three years, including removing the requirements for nuclear radiology training and for a prospective plan (approved individuals may now receive up to two years of credit for training prior to their application and submission of a Sponsoring Department Agreement). The current program also permits part-time status and discontinuous training, if the pathway is completed within six years from training start date for medical physics, eight years for diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology, or 10 years for interventional radiology.
Extensive ongoing discussions among the Board of Governors, combined with input from external stakeholder groups, led to the announcement in May that the ABR will permit candidates to combine successfully completed training from two institutions (the long-standing policy had required “a single institution”). There are two important conditions: First, representatives of both sponsoring departments must be willing to attest to satisfactory clinical and professional performance during the time of service. Second, at least 24 months must be served in the “final” (second) institution (where the pathway is completed). Additional details can be found on the ABR website. Exam and licensure requirements are unchanged.
ABR leadership believes not only that innovations within the radiologic profession develop from the inclusion of ideas from around the globe, but also that the public is served by a robust set of standards of training and assessment. We agree with those candidates, department chairs, and teaching faculty who think that the IMG Alternate Pathway represents an important opportunity to recognize and certify high quality practitioners in the radiologic sciences.
