Is It Time for a Direct Doctor of Medicine in Interventional Radiology in India?

Interventional radiology (IR) has established itself as an indispensable and critically important service in patient care. It bridges the gap between traditional surgery and medical therapy by offering minimally invasive image-guided procedures that can be curative, palliative, or adjunct to other therapies. Physicians practicing IR require specific skills to provide high-quality IR services. Various structured IR training programs, including direct or postcertification in diagnostic radiology (DR), are now available globally, offering training in image acquisition, interpretation, image-guided procedures, and clinical evaluation. However, in India, IR training is offered only after DR training is completed. It may be worthwhile to consider implementing a direct integrated IR/DR course in the country.