Radiology

Medical College of Wisconsin Interventional Radiology Residency

Thank you for your interest in the Interventional Radiology Residency program at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). We are very proud to offer both the Integrated IR as well as the Independent IR residency programs, and are excited to welcome new residents to our outstanding academic institution. Our mission is to provide every resident with comprehensive training in Interventional Radiology to prepare them for a successful career within the field. The ultimate goal of the MCW IR Residency is to train the most well rounded, most clinically competent, and most technically advanced interventional radiologists in the United States.

Program Director Welcome | Parag J. Patel, MD, MS, FSIR

The division of Vascular & Interventional Radiology consists of twelve diverse, experienced clinical faculty who practice at Froedtert Hospital as well as at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. Our faculty’s entire clinical and research focus is on Interventional Radiology. Our residents will have the opportunity to train with physicians that have a wide range of special interests, such as interventional oncology, palliative medicine, vascular disease (peripheral interventions and Aortic), musculoskeletal interventions, and MR-guided ablation. The division's faculty are world-renowned in their areas of expertise and are frequently invited to speak at national and international meetings. We have demonstrated national leadership within our field including founding the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO), chairing the SIR Scientific Annual Meeting, holding positions as SIR committee chairs, past and present councilors on the SIR Executive Council, and president of APDIR, among others.

Additionally, our program has state-of-the-art facilities housed within a new surgical and interventional platform designed with our patients in mind. The new interventional platform has the latest Siemens equipment including five single plane flat panel angiography suites, three bi-plane angiography suites, two hybrid OR Zeegos, and an integrated CT-angiography suite. Our education mission is not limited to our residents as we also support an IR technologist training program, one of only a handful in the country.

The training environment includes all aspects of Interventional Radiology as well as those pertinent to running a clinical practice. This includes dedicated education on E&M and CPT coding, documentation, and perspectives from hospital administration.

We thank you for your interest in our residency program, and wish you the very best as you progress through training. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Parag J. Patel, MD, MS, FSIR

Program Overview

Comprehensive Training
The Interventional Radiology residency experience is diverse and extensive with each resident encountering over 1500 patients per year. Our clinical practice covers the full spectrum of interventional radiology, performing all diagnostic and endovascular procedures (outside of cardiac catheterizations and intracranial neuro interventions), all nonvascular percutaneous liver and percutaneous GU procedures, image-guided interventional oncology therapies, and non-invasive outpatient vein therapy procedures. Our division is fully integrated with subspecialities of the Department of Radiology such as digital imaging, chest, and GI radiology. Our residency programs provide well-rounded training for complete clinical competence and prepare our residents for IR/DR certification.

Junior Residents (PGY-2-PGY-4) in our Integrated program focus primarily on Diagnostic Radiology, rotating through thirteen four-week blocks per year that cover chest, MSK, nuclear medicine, neuro-radiology, GI/GU, IR, ultrasound, body CT, body MR, breast, pediatrics, VA digital imaging/VA general imaging, emergency medicine, and American Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) cardiac. Senior Residents (PGY-5-PGY-6) are devoted to Interventional Radiology, with procedural, ICU, palliative care, and clinical care (in-patient care, consult service, and outpatient clinic) rotations.

World-Class Facilities
Our program has state-of-the-art facilities housed within a new surgical and interventional platform designed with our patients in mind. The new interventional platform has the latest Siemens equipment, including five single-plane flat-panel angiography suites, three bi-plane angiography suites, two hybrid OR Zeegos, and an integrated CT-angiography suite.

Unmatched Clinical Experience
Our residents will train with full-time, fellowship trained, CAQ Board Certified faculty whose entire clinical and research focus is Interventional Radiology. With a wide-range of special interests – such as interventional oncology, palliative medicine, peripheral vascular & aortic disease, and musculoskeletal interventions – our faculty are world-renowned in their areas of expertise. They are frequently invited speakers at national and international meetings and show demonstrated leadership within the field.

Surgical Partnerships
We believe that our practice has many unique qualities including a relationship with the Division of Vascular Surgery, which allows for the collegial combined medical and procedural care of patients with peripheral vascular disease. We have a hybrid operating room that allows combined cases in an operating room setting, while maintaining high-quality imaging. In our education partnership with General Surgery, incoming residents who match into our categorical Integrated Interventional Radiology program will also match into a preliminary year with MCW General Surgery, where their training is specifically geared to a future in interventional radiology.

Cutting-Edge Research
The Division of Vascular & Interventional Radiology is currently enrolling in multicenter, prospective randomized control trials and has a dedicated research coordinator. Because research is so critical to the advancement of our specialty, two of our faculty members have time dedicated to research-only endeavors. Residents are routinely involved both in clinical trials and their own research projects, and often present at national meetings.

Education Focused
Our mission is not limited to our residents, as we also support an IR technologist training program—one of only a handful in the country. The training environment includes all pertinent aspects of running a clinical Interventional Radiology practice, like dedicated education on E&M and CPT coding, documentation, and perspectives from hospital administration.

Additional Residency Information

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Educational Objectives
The Integrated IR Residency provides a complete clinical and academic experience, which is fully compliant with the Program Requirements for Residency Education in Interventional Radiology, as accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Direct clinical training with graduated responsibility, a comprehensive didactic program, and excellent availability for participation in a wide variety of research activities provides a complete academic Integrated IR residency. The Medical College of Wisconsin is currently one of a small population of institutions that is approved to provide this residency program, which will qualify graduates to sit for the new ABR IR/DR certificate exams.

How to Apply

Applications are only accepted via ERAS and positions are only offered through the NRMP. Applicants wishing to also apply to the MCW Diagnostic Radiology Residency program must submit a separate application via ERAS. MCW respects and abides by the NRMP agreement and will not ask that a candidate reveal any programs he/she has applied to, including programs within our own institution.

ESIR (Diagnostic Radiology Residency)

The Diagnostic Radiology Residency program at MCW is approved for ESIR designation, which is one reason an applicant with interest in IR may choose to apply to both programs. In an effort to remain transparent, we would like applicants to understand that our program does not view dual applications negatively. The positive relationship between the IR and DR programs at MCW allows us to be supportive of applicants choosing to apply to both programs, and this choice will not be held against them.

Interviews are offered to qualified applicants after review of the complete application, which should include the following:

  • MyERAS application
  • Medical school transcript
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Medical School Performance Evaluation
  • ECFMG certification (international medical graduates only)
VIR Division & Faculty
Benefits, Conditions & Terms of Employment
 

Reasons to live in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is a one-of-a-kind city with a vibrant and diverse culture, this charming, yet metropolitan must-see is just 90 minutes north of Chicago and nestled on the coast of Lake Michigan. Whether you’re catching a show at Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, immersing yourself in the old world charm of the Historic Third Ward or taking in the sights and sounds of one of the many cafés, beer gardens or restaurants that line the city’s riverbank and shoreline, Milwaukee never disappoints. Find out why MCW residents and fellows take pride in calling Milwaukee home.

Current Residents

Class of 2024

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Lawrence Lin, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: St. Louis, MO; Undergraduate: Washington University, St. Louis; Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin

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Amer Rasheed, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Chicago, IL; Undergraduate: St. Louis University; Medical School: University of Illinois

Class of 2025

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Andrew Perez, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Lewiston, ID; Undergraduate: Brigham Young University; Medical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

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Philip Skummer, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Orchard Park, NY; Undergraduate: Cornell University; Medical School: State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Class of 2026

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Jackson Bennett, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Austin, Texas; Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin; Medical School: Texas Medical Center at Baylor College of Medicine

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Ritam Chowdhury, MBBS, MPH, PhD, SM

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: India; Medical School: Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital

Class of 2027

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Sayeh Bozorghadad, MD, MEd

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Los Altos, CA; Undergraduate: Bucknell University; Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

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Patrick Moran, MD

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Forest Lake, MN; Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin-Madison; Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School-Duluth

Class of 2028

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Matthew Henry, MD, MS

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Okemos, MI; Undergraduate: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Medical School: Wayne State University

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Michael Rabaza, MD, MS-CTS

Integrated IR Resident

Hometown: Chicago, IL; Undergraduate: University of Illinois-Chicago; Medical School: University of Illinois-Chicago

Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the different education pathways available to become an Interventional Radiologist?
As of June 30, 2020, the Vascular & Interventional Radiology Fellowship program has ended and Interventional Radiology residencies will provide the full scope of training for those aspiring to be board-certified Interventional Radiologists. There are several different ways to enter an IR Residency program after medical school, and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is able to offer all three avenues to aspiring trainees. MCW has been fully accredited for the Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency program as well as the Independent Interventional Radiology Residency program. Additionally, the MCW Diagnostic Radiology Residency program has been approved for ESIR designation.

Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program

Senior medical students who are certain they want to specialize in Interventional Radiology are best suited to enter the Integrated IR Residency program directly after medical school. Medical students match into this program during their fourth year of medical school, and begin with a preliminary (internship/PGY-1) year followed by five additional years of residency training. MCW offers an excellent Surgical Preliminary year program, and due to our categorical program status, candidates that match into the MCW Integrated IR Residency will automatically be matched into the MCW Surgical Preliminary program. There is no need to fill out a separate application for MCW surgery or to incorporate them into your rank order list.

Independent Interventional Radiology Residency Program

Residents that complete the Diagnostic Radiology Residency and decide to specialize in Interventional Radiology can enter the Independent Interventional Radiology Residency Program, which replaces the VIR Fellowship program. DR residents match into Independent IR residency positions during their PGY-4 year, and begin their training directly following successful completion of the DR Residency program. The first match for this program at MCW took place in March 2019, and residents began with our program in July 2020.

Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR)

ESIR is a training option for Diagnostic Radiology residents and medical students who develop an early interest in Interventional Radiology. ESIR training is not a separate residency program, but rather an ACGME-approved designation within DR residency programs. Interested residents in a DR program with ESIR designation must apply for ESIR after beginning their DR residency. If, after applying, the resident is selected for ESIR, he/she is then able to go directly into the second year of the Independent IR Residency program (upon successful completion of the DR residency). The DR Residency at MCW has been approved for ESIR designation, so this option is available to current DR residents at MCW.
Are Preliminary (internship) year positions available in the Integrated IR Residency program?

Yes. The Integrated IR Residency is a categorical program, which means that residents matching to our program will also match into the MCW Surgical Preliminary year.

How many Integrated IR Residency positions are available for the next match?
Two.
Does the program include a dedicated research rotation?

No, there is not a dedicated research rotation in Interventional Radiology. However, a research elective is available and all residents are expected to participate in a dedicated research project. Additionally, one of the faculty within the division has established a translational Interventional Oncology laboratory, and regular opportunities to become involved with research projects will be available to residents.

Does the Integrated IR Residency program have a night float system?

Yes, but residents are not on night float during year 1 of the program. Residents also will not take call during year 1.

Does the program provide time off for residents to attend conferences or professional meetings?
Yes, the program is in full support of opportunities for residents to attend local and national conferences to further their education during their residency. Historically, MCW residents have attended and presented research projects at conferences such as the annual SIR, CIO/ISET, WCIO, and SIR Fellows Spring Practicum.
Will the program consider international medical graduates with ECFMG certification?

Yes, appropriately qualified applicants with J-1 visa sponsorship through ECFMG will be considered.

Does MCW offer a visiting student clerkship in Interventional Radiology?

Yes – MCW accepts medical student applications for visiting student clerkships via VSAS.

The Department is proud to offer a travel scholarship for the URiM medical student elective program to help facilitate underrepresented in medicine student experience in Interventional Radiology.

The program is also proud to be a participating institution for the SIR Foundation's Grants for Education of Medical Students (GEMS) Program, which provides a scholarship for underrepresented in medicine ethnic groups.

Contact Us

Parag J. Patel, MD, MS, FSIR - Program Director
(414) 805-3414 | (414) 476-7503 (fax)
Department of Radiology
Division of Vascular & Interventional Radiology, Room 2803
Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals
c/o Froedtert Hospital
9200 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53226