Program Overview

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Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program

About the Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has recognized Interventional Radiology (IR) as a unique clinical discipline in medicine, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has created a new training program to give physicians the cognitive knowledge, procedural skill, and clinical expertise necessary to practice in this new specialty. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) already has a superb Diagnostic Radiology (DR) Residency, and the new IR residency provides excellent training in DR as well as robust training in all aspects of IR. UCSF currently matches one Integrated IR resident per year.

The UCSF Interventional Radiology Section is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, which remain vital to the practice of minimally invasive image-guided therapies for patients, trainees, faculty, and workforce. The principles of equity and inclusion, as rooted in anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-homophobic programmatic values, are essential to the educational mission of the fellowship. The curriculum and educational practices reflect the ongoing commitment to dismantling structures of power, oppression, and privilege within graduate medical education and in recruitment practices to the specialty of Interventional Radiology. The aim is to create a safe and equitable learning environment for all members to thrive.

Educational Program

The five-year IR curriculum consists of 3 years focused on diagnostic imaging and 2 years focused on IR. Up to nine months of the fourth year (PGY5) will be spent in IR or IR-related rotations. IR residents will take call for diagnostic radiology during the first four years and will take call for IR in the final year. The IR section provides training across the broad domain of vascular and non-vascular procedures. Clinical care is at the heart of the IR practice. The UCSF IR section admits patients, manages inpatient care, and maintains a robust clinic practice.

IR Faculty

The IR faculty consists of full-time Interventional Radiologists under the direction of the IR Section Chief and the IR Residency Program Director. In addition, there are full-time Interventionalists at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) and one at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAH). Introductory IR rotations take place at ZSFG and VAH, and advanced rotations are located at the University Moffitt and Mission Bay campuses as well as the Mount Zion outpatient IR center.

Internship

Applicants are encouraged to obtain a strong clinical internship (PGY1 year) in medicine or surgery. Clinical internships at UCSF in General Surgery can be structured with the IR residency in mind, and applicants are encouraged to apply for a general surgery preliminary position at UCSF. The last two months of the PGY1 surgical internship will be spent in the IR section.

Application Process

Students may enter IR in two ways:

• Apply directly from medical school into an Integrated IR residency
• Apply to a DR residency program and then apply later to an Independent IR residency during the third year (PGY-4) of diagnostic radiology residency training

UCSF offers one Integrated IR residency position and three Independent IR residency positions. Students interested in IR at UCSF have the option of applying to the Integrated IR Residency or the DR residency.

Summary of Application Process

• Application Deadline: October 1, 2025
• Interview Notification: By or before October 24, 2025
• Interview Dates:
  • Friday, January 9, 2026
  • Friday, January 16, 2026
  • Friday, January 23, 2026
  • Friday, January 30, 2026
• Ranking Meeting: February 2026
• Rank Order List Deadline: March 4, 2026
• Match Day: March 20, 2026
• Start of Residency: July 1, 2027

Application Procedures

The application deadline is October 1, 2025, 20 months before the anticipated start of radiology residency. The UCSF Department of Radiology participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). All positions are filled through the National Resident Matching Program.

• A medical school performance evaluation ("dean's letter") and 3 letters of recommendation are required.
• You can solicit letters of recommendation from any faculty members who know you well, but it is suggested that they be from physicians who are familiar with your clinical work.
• No more than one of the three letters should be written by a radiologist.
• If you have had extensive research experience, you may choose to submit a 4th letter from your mentor or advisor.
• You must have completed a preliminary year of training at an ACGME-accredited institution before entering the residency program.

Interviews

The interview process is designed to be informative and pleasant. It is an opportunity for applicants to learn more about the department, people, programs, and facilities, and for the department to learn about the applicants. Feel free to ask questions, and please let the department know if they can assist you in any way.

• All interviews for the 2026 application cycle will be virtual.
• During recruitment for July 2027 positions, applicants will have the opportunity to virtually meet the Program Director, learn about the program, interact with residents, see a didactic conference, and discover research opportunities.
• Applicants will be invited to an early-evening virtual social hour where they will have the chance to meet additional residents without faculty present.
• The department hosts virtual interviews using Zoom and utilizes breakout rooms for one-on-one interviews.

Program Directors

• Vishal Kumar, MD: Associate Professor, Program Director, Integrated & Interventional Radiology Residency Programs
• Soonmee Cha, MD: Professor, Vice Chair for Education, Program Director, Diagnostic Radiology Residency, Associate Program Director, Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency

Related Content

• Residency Application Procedure
• Interventional Radiology: Minimally Invasive Alternative to Surgery
• Radiology Residency Programs
  • Education Team
  • Residency Programs
    • Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program
    • Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program
    • Independent Interventional Radiology Residency Program
  • Fellowships
  • Verification of Training
  • (T32) Biomedical Imaging for Clinician Scientists
  • Medical Students
  • Master of Science in Biomedical Imaging
  • Ultrasound Lecture Series
  • Distinguished Lecture Series
  • CME/Postgrad Ed
  • Alumni

State and Federal Laws, UC Policies, and Operating Procedures

• Key Policies:
  • Title VI
  • Proposition 209
  • UC Antidiscrimination Policy
  • Accreditation Standards