Aurora Health Care Program

Interventional Radiology-Integrated Analyst Verified · Aug 27, 2026

Aurora Health Care Program

Aurora Health Care Program is a residency program specializing in Interventional Radiology-Integrated, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, directed by Lara N. Mrak, MD, PhD and coordinated by Serena Messer. The program accepts applications through January 1, 2027. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (414) 649-6298. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Aurora's integrated IR residency is a community-based, university-adjacent training program embedded within a large not-for-profit Wisconsin health system (now part of Advocate Health), combining a transitional internship, three years mainstreamed through the Diagnostic Radiology curriculum, and two years of dedicated IR immersion. The clinical environment centers on Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee with additional exposure through Children's Wisconsin, cardiovascular/vascular MRI, and ICU rotations, reflecting a broad procedural and clinical-care model rather than a narrow subspecialty silo. The program explicitly frames graduates as prepared for either private or academic IR practice, and its structured core curriculum (Residency Essentials, 78 modules) plus small, close-knit faculty group suggests a value on well-rounded procedural competence and communication skills over a heavy research mandate. This is a practice-ready, community-integrated program rather than a research-driven academic powerhouse.

Who it fits

An applicant who wants strong general procedural and clinical IR training within a large community health system and is agnostic between eventual academic or private-practice IR careers, rather than someone chasing a heavily research-focused or quaternary academic IR fellowship pathway.

Research intensity

Low - Research and scholarly activity are mentioned as institutional values but not built into the IR curriculum as an expectation or requirement.

Career orientation

Mixed - Community Practice, Academic Medicine

Important

The program states a preference for applicants who "possess excellent written and oral communication skills."

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