2025 VIR Match Panel Insights

On April 9, 2025, WCVIS hosted the “WCVIS Match Series: 2025 VIR Match Panel,” an online discussion that provided key insights into the match process from four recently matched medical students.

This panel featured:

• Anna Hu (George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences), who will complete both her surgical intern year and categorical VIR residency at Rush University Medical Center

• Olivia Kola (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), who will complete both her surgical intern year and categorical VIR residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center

• Ashley Lamba (Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell), who will complete both her surgical intern year and categorical VIR residency at University of California, Los Angeles

• Armaan Mazra (Rush Medical College), who will complete both his surgical intern year and categorical VIR residency at Stanford University

The panel focused on the panelists’ individual paths into VIR, tips for building a strong foundation early on, and practical advice for Sub-I rotations.

Early on, all panelists make one thing clear: VIR is a surgical subspecialty that requires a high degree of dedication to developing strong clinical skills and being comfortable comprehensively managing the patient. VIR offers an exceptional breadth of procedures for pathologies that range from cancer to peripheral arterial disease, to hepatobiliary interventions, and more—a truly head-to-toe specialty that can help patients in a minimally invasive way. What’s common to all panelists is that they were strongly attracted to surgical specialties, and all knew they wanted strong involvement in the entire process of patient care. Armaan made the excellent point of the importance of “owning the patient”, and how individuals who pursue this field should be strongly committed to not just being a proceduralist, but a well-rounded clinician.

For students early on in their medical careers, the most important thing to do is to focus on mastering fundamental sciences, such as anatomy, physiology and pathology, as well as physical exam skills. While building a strong preclinical foundation is necessary for any physician—panelists highlighted the breadth of knowledge required by a VIR clinician and emphasized how important it is to strongly grasp all organ systems. Importantly, Armaan discussed how having a strong foundation for pathophysiology allows students to have a better understanding of indications/contraindications for procedures, as well as how to medically manage the patient post-op. 

Anna knew early on that VIR was the field for her, and she recognizes and advocates for the importance of early exposure. While some discover their passion for VIR early during medical school, others don’t find it until later. Both Armaan and Olivia who were initially interested in orthopedic surgery and urology, respectively, made sure to provide motivation and set a strong example for students who may have discovered VIR later during their medical education, for example during third year clerkships. While VIR is an increasingly competitive field to get into, these two panelists were adamant that a strong “why” for VIR is among the most important factors for success in pursuing this field. Additionally, Olivia strongly encouraged students to try and get involved with VIR or VIR adjacent research, as this not only allows students to contribute to the field but also allows them to show dedication and interest. 

Because VIR demands a wide breadth of knowledge, there are many elective rotations that can help prepare students for VIR training. For example, some suggestions from panelists included hepatology, hepatobiliary surgery, vascular surgery and transplant surgery, particularly given the number of liver-involved cases in VIR. When on rotations, the panelists reassured the audience that it is not necessary to have a thorough understanding of all the technical aspects of each VIR procedure. Instead, it is important to have a fundamental understanding of what the procedure entails, as well as be involved in all steps of patient care, including clinic consults, rounding, pre-op, and post-op. Therefore, students who do not have a home VIR program can still stand out positively during away rotations in various ways, including being fully involved in patient care and importantly, by showing a strong willingness to learn, as well as be a team player who helps everyone on the team be their best, including fellow students. 

According to the panelists, the best programs for developing VIR physicians are those that build in time for clinic participation, consult management, and offer the full breadth of procedural variety, from peripheral artery disease work to neurointerventional IR. It was evident from hearing the panelists that having some degree of clinical experience integrated in all years of residency was a key factor in deciding which programs to apply to. Determining what programs will provide strong VIR training can be done in a multitude of ways, including word of mouth from residents and attendings, going on away rotations, and importantly, Ashley highlighted the importance of collaboration and open communication between students. Communicating with fellow students to discuss program strengths is paramount in helping students determine which programs they are a good fit for. Collaboration could include a large chat of applicants from all over, as well as meet ups during national conferences. With this in mind, a big takeaway is that students should work together with open communication to ensure that they are able to find the right program for them that offers strong clinical VIR training.