Recent Trends of Female Representation in Interventional Radiology Training from 2008-2023: An Update

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

11:42 AM – 11:51 AM CT

Location: Music City Center, 205 BC

Presenting Author(s)

Ahmed Alzubaidi

Medical Student
Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

Hailey Carruthers, MD

Resident
Detroit Medical Center, United States
AM

Arif Musa, MD, M.S.

Chief Transitional Year Resident
ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital, United States
MH

Monte Harvill, MD

Assistant Professor
Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Radiology, United States
AH

Ali Harb, MD

Physician
Wayne State University/DMC, United States

Purpose: Gender disparity in interventional radiology (IR) is a longstanding issue. However, the establishment of the IR integrated residency program and its designation as a distinct specialty have affected recruitment. This study evaluated trends in female representation in IR training programs from 2008 to 2023 and assessed female representation in recent years after inception of the IR integrated residency in 2016-2017.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of residency and fellowship application data from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and active resident data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) was conducted. Linear regression was used to evaluate trends in female representation from 2008 to 2023. Segmented regression compared Integrated IR trends before and after 2021 to evaluate recent changes in female representation. The proportions of male and female Integrated IR applicants were compared via t-test. Analyses were conducted with Microsoft Excel’s Analysis ToolPak. Statistical significance was set at alpha = 0.05.

Results: Female representation in IR residency and fellowship training programs increased significantly from 10.8% in 2008 to 21.0% in 2023 (p = 0.00003). The most substantial gains were observed in the Integrated IR residency pathway, where female representation grew from 15.4% in 2017 to 22.8% in 2023 (p = 0.0029). In contrast, the IR fellowship and later independent IR residency pathways saw female representation decrease slightly from 16.3% in 2017 to 13.6% in 2023 (p = 0.0005). Notably, there has been no statistically significant increase in female representation among Integrated IR trainees since 2021 (p = 0.1565).

Conclusion: Although female representation in IR training has significantly increased since 2008, it has remained stable over the past three application cycles. Nevertheless, the overall trend shows increased female representation in post-graduate IR training between 2008 and 2023. Recent SIR initiatives like Women in IR (WIR), the WIR Champion Award, and Mentor Match may strengthen this trend and resolve the plateau in female representation.