Our Program leaders will begin reviewing ERAS applications once ERAS opens to programs in September, 2025. We anticipate notifying applicants beginning around October 20, 2025. Applications received in ERAS through October 31st will still be considered.
Application Process
We currently train 43 diagnostic radiology residents and are recruiting an incoming diagnostic class of 12 residents.
We value diversity in our residency: each of our residents brings unique gifts and qualifications that strengthen our program. We encourage qualified applicants from all regions of the country and from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and we welcome applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups. In recent years, 35 different medical schools have been represented in our residency program.
Most of our successful applicants have had experience in research, whether it be a short stint resulting in a case report or extensive time in translational or clinical research yielding numerous presentations, first author publications, and patents. Research is an integral component of our program, and all of our residents obtain mentored research experience through a unique “Competencies” rotation. Many of our residents choose to spend several additional months of elective time pursuing their research interests.
For questions regarding the Application process, please contact our program administrator, Daniel Willems (willems@uw.edu).
*All interviews for the 2025-2026 recruitment season will be conducted virtually through RezRate.
Match (NRMP) Options
UW Radiology has a traditional advanced match starting PGY2 in July 2025.
Advanced – PGY-2 positions, with four years of Diagnostic Radiology beginning in 2026. Prerequisite is at least one year of clinical experience in an accredited program. This program is listed on NRMP as:
Univ. Washington Hosp. RADIOLOGY-DIAGNOSTIC 1918420A0
For complete information about the Interventional Radiology Programs please see here
Eligibility
Our minimum criteria include:
A medical degree from one of the following:
- Accredited medical school in the United States or Canada; or
- Accredited college of osteopathic medicine in the United States; or
- Medical school outside of the United States or Canada, along with ECFMG certification
Passing score on Step 1 of the USMLE
Selection Criteria for Interview Invitations
We receive many questions about the application process, and we hope the following information demystifies our process for selecting residents.
We receive well over 900 applications each year but are only able to interview approximately 130 applicants.
The selection committee reviews all applications. In the interview selection process, the most important aspects of the application are grades in the core clinical clerkships of internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine, and psychiatry; induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society; induction into the Gold Humanism honor society; class standing; comments on the MSPE summary statement, leadership, volunteer work, research and publications, potential for an academic career, and significant life experiences. Passing USMLE Step 1 is a requirement for consideration.
Successful applicants have honors in most of their clinical clerkships and are members of AOA. Note that those applicants from schools that do not offer an honor-based grading system or AOA are not adversely affected; the comments in the MSPE are highly valued in these cases.
We seek residents that have potential for an academic career. Most of our successful applicants have demonstrated an interest in research or other academic activities, ranging from teaching to writing case reports to publishing ground-breaking work related to a PhD degree.
2025/2026 Interview Dates
Interview Dates for the upcoming year:
November 14, 2025
November 21, 2025
December 12, 2025
December 19, 2025
January 9, 2026
January 16, 2026
January 23, 2026
All interviews for the 2025-2026 recruitment season will be conducted virtually. We understand that many applicants wish to visit the site in person, and we very much wish we could accommodate that desire. However, because not all candidates have that opportunity, we must provide an even playing field for all candidates. As such, we are unable to approve any candidate’s visit to the hospital unless they have been accepted for an away rotation from their school.
Note to Applicants from the University of Washington School of Medicine
We recognize that the University of Washington is one of the strongest medical schools in the nation, and we have been fortunate to meet and work with many of you.
Rest assured that we will read every application from UW students in great detail and give you the utmost consideration. In the past we were able to offer all of our students an interview. However, because of the limited number of interview days, we can no longer extend courtesy interviews. We believe it is unfair to interview an applicant if we would not be able to rank him or her highly. If you are not offered an interview, we would be happy to continue to guide you in the application process to match to an excellent program.
Please note: it is now required to use program signals to indicate your interest in interviewing with your home program.
Note to Visiting Students
We recognize that a visiting rotation is an effective and fun way for you to get an extended view of our program, but it is not required or expected of our applicants. Due to the large number of applications, we are not able to offer an interview to all visiting students. Your application will be read in detail and in its entirety; selection is not based solely on your rotation with us.
If you have done a visiting rotation, please let Daniel Willems (willems@uw.edu) know as soon as possible so he can flag your application for the selection committee.
Note to International Medical Graduates
We encourage highly qualified applicants to apply to our program. We value diversity of training and have outstanding residents and faculty from international medical schools.
Due to the large number of applications, we are only able to interview international graduates who have ALL of the following qualifications:
- Strong scores on Step 2 of the USMLE.
- Outstanding letters of recommendation, including letters from mentors who can comment on your performance in a clinical setting within the United States, preferably during an ACGME-accredited internship.
- Strong research track record with publication in peer-reviewed journals.
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited internship is required in ordered to be considered.
International Medical Graduates may also be interested in our 4-Year Pathway that leads to ABR eligibility.
Essential Functions
The University of Washington GME office has promulgated an Essential Functions document outlining trainee responsibilities.
Interview Day
We recognize that the application and interview process can be a source of anxiety, but we want to put you at ease so you can have a positive experience and learn as much as you can about our program. We use RezRATE to manage our communications with you, including interview invitations and scheduling. RezRATE is also used to conduct interviews, allowing the day to run smoothly and efficiently (and, we hope, stress free!).
Timeline this application cycle:
- October: Review applications and extend invitations to interview
- November-January: Interviews take place
- February 2: Ranking opens in NRMP
- March 4: Rank order list certification deadline
- March 20: Match day!
Before the interview:
Once you schedule an interview, we will send you a confirmation email with general information about the program.
One week before your interview, you will receive more specific information about your interview day, including your personalized link for the day. One of our residents will also reach out to invite you to an informal virtual happy hour to meet our residents on the evening before the interview. Although this is an optional event, most applicants enjoy the opportunity to meet our residents and ask questions in an informal setting.
Interview day:
The interview day is an exciting time for all of us. We start with an introduction from our program directors and a morning presentation by the chief residents. You will have three virtual interviews with faculty and residents. We hope you find the interviews to be a good opportunity to meet a range of our faculty and residents and to ask questions. It is perfectly fine to pose similar questions to multiple interviewers so you can hear different perspectives.
Several of our residents will be available to meet with you virtually during breaks between the individual interview sessions.
After the interview:
We recognize that this is a busy and stressful time of year. We do our best to minimize communications to you, and we give you permission to do the same. There is no need to send a thank you to the program or individual interviewers – your participation in interviews demonstrates your interest. We are, of course, happy to respond if you need any information to help you construct your rank list.
We look forward to meeting you!
Post Interview
The Selection Committee meets on every interview day to discuss our experiences with the interviewees, and we hold a final ranking meeting on our last interview day. We are fortunate to receive applications from many outstanding candidates, and we believe that almost all of our interviewees would achieve great success in our program.
In addition to the selection criteria mentioned above, when we formulate our rank order list we give great weight to personal characteristics as ascertained from the interview, the MSPE, the letters of recommendation, the personal statement, and the record of scholarly, leadership, and volunteer activities. A strong sense of integrity and ethics; compassion, empathy, and respect for others; warmth of personality and a sense of humor; a positive outlook; diligence and readiness to work hard; self-motivation; ability to work in a team; inclination to cooperate instead of compete; superior interpersonal and communication skills; capacity for self-reflection, to learn from mistakes, and to respond positively to feedback and constructive criticism; intellectual curiosity; creativity; and an eagerness to give back to the institution and the community-at-large: these are the characteristics we seek in our residents.
After the deadline for submitting the rank order list, we will send you an online survey. We appreciate the time you spend completing the survey; we read all of the responses (which are anonymous), and we use the information to improve the interview experience.
If you match into our program, we will send you a welcome letter and a contract soon after match day.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact our program administrator, Daniel Willems: willems@uw.edu