4-Year ABR Alternate Pathway

Program overview

Our four-year Alternate Pathway was created to provide international medical graduates (IMGs) an opportunity to complete four years of radiology training and then become eligible to sit for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) board certification examinations. The details of the IMG Alternate Pathway for Board Eligibility can be found on the ABR website at www.theabr.org. Please note that the four years of training must be completed within eight years, preferably at one institution.

At the University of Washington, the required four years of training can be accomplished through a combination of years of education in the following training programs: Abdominal Radiology, Cancer Imaging, Cardiothoracic Radiology, Emergency Radiology, Musculoskeletal Radiology,  Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine and Pediatric Radiology.

Becoming ABR-certified allows an IMG to practice radiology in private practice or in any hospital (public or private) in the US, provided medical licensing and immigration status requirements are also satisfied. Please note that most states in the US require two years of ACGME-accredited training in order to apply for an unrestricted license to practice medicine in that state. Therefore, although not always possible, our department of Radiology makes every effort to offer 4-year pathway solutions that include at least two years of ACGME-accredited training. Additional ACGME-accredited training can be completed at UW or elsewhere after a UW four-year pathway (or may have been completed at another academic institutions prior to joining UW).

You may express preferences for the combination of years of radiology training and we will attempt to offer a four-year pathway that meets this as much as possible. However, our training positions are limited and you may be offered a four-year pathway different from your initial request.  If you agree with the the pathway suggested, you will be offered virtual interviews with the participating sections.

Our medical school Graduate Medical Education (GME) office has strict rules regarding four-year pathways. If you decide to not pursue a four-year pathway or do not receive an offer, but instead decide to pursue one or two years of radiology specialty training with us outside of a four-year pathway, we will not be able to offer you a four-year pathway at a later date. In other words, individual fellowship training is not a path to entry into a four-year ABR pathway at UW.  We require the potential fellow to request and be approved for the four years before starting any four-year pathway training at the University of Washington.

Interview process

Upon careful evaluation of your application materials by the pathway committee, you may be offered virtual interviews with the faculty and staff of interested sections. The interview process typically takes 2-4 hours for each interview. After completion of the interviews, the Program Directors will discuss individual candidates, complete a reference check, and then selected candidates will be presented to the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) for approval as an exceptional candidate. An exceptional candidate is one who has demonstrated a combination of clinical excellence amongst peers, leadership qualities, a track record of strong research and scholarly activity, and volunteer or administrative work. If a candidate is not approved by the GMEC Committee, then a formal 4-year pathway cannot be offered to the candidate.

Application Process

The application deadline for consideration for 2026 and beyond is October 1, 2025. We are accepting applications for program years 2026 and beyond. 

Those wishing to apply should send the below documents to ABR Alternate Pathway Program Administrator Kathy Nguyen at kn38@uw.edu:

1. ABR Pathway Application 
2. Current CV 
3. Personal statement
4. USMLE 1-3 score reports. Successful completion of all 3 USMLE steps is required before an applicant may be considered for a potential pathway
5. Valid ECFMG certificate. Include extension if applicable
6. Medical school diploma
7. Medical school transcripts
8. Dean’s letter/MSPE from medical school
9. Certificate of completion of residency
10. 3 letters of recommendation. Include a letter from your residency training program, a letter from your current fellowship (if attending), and a letter from other faculty, colleagues, or fellowship directors. Must include the reference’s institutional email to contact for verification of authenticity.
11. Professional head shot photo

The Department of Radiology’s 4-year ABR alternate pathway program is eligible for J-1 and H-1B visa sponsorship.

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