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 training requirements of a non-U.S., non-Canadian country.
• Complete one year of clinical training.
  • Foreign clinical training document must state start and end dates of training.
• Complete a minimum of three years of diagnostic radiology 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 radiology training. Training may be completed as a residency (up to three years maximum), fellowship, and/or faculty appointment in an institution with a diagnostic radiology 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 Transfers 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 diagnostic radiology residency may be counted. However, four years of diagnostic radiology residency does not qualify for the ABR Alternate Pathway, as that is the standard training pathway.
• Pass the ABR Qualifying (Core) Exam: Click here for more information.
• Pass the ABR Certifying Exam: Click here for more information.
• 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 an applicant’s status relative to ABR policies and Alternate Pathways toward Board Certification (see policy) only after receiving the following documents:

• Diagnostic Radiology IMG Application Form
• Current, detailed curriculum vitae with specific dates of all training
• Verification of the following:
  • Medical school training
  • Clinical training
  • Radiology residency training
  • Radiology certification (if applicable)
  • NOTE: The Board accepts copies of diplomas or letters from training institutions as verification. If original documents are in a language other than 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 (prior to submission of the application) as part of their SDA.
  • Credit for research training of up to 12 months will be granted toward diagnostic radiology 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
  • 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 also 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 Qualifying (Core) Exam at the earliest opportunity (after 36 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

Qualifying (Core) Exam

After an applicant’s application has been approved, and they have completed 36 months of approved training, the applicant may take the Qualifying (Core) Exam.

Certifying Exam

IMG alternate pathway candidates will be eligible for the Certifying Exam after they comply with the following:

• Successfully pass the Qualifying (Core) Exam.
• Alternate pathway candidates do not have to wait 12 months after completion of their plan to be eligible for the Certifying Exam.
• The ABR office must receive the Final Verification Form (FVF) signed by the department chair, attesting completion of the applicant’s four-year plan.

 

Board Eligibility

Please see the Board Eligibility page for more details.  

Fees

A fee schedule for the IMG alternate pathway can be found here.