Cardiac MRI Training & Certification
How to get there: SCMR Level I, II and III, the SCMR Grandfathering pathway, CBCMR board eligibility, COCATS 4 and EACVI, explained for radiology and cardiology trainees and for practicing physicians.
Last verified October 17, 2026. Requirements change, and each certifying body has the final word. Confirm with SCMR, CBCMR/Inteleos, ACR, EACVI or your program before you count on a number. Items marked ⚑ unverified could not be confirmed from a current primary source.
Open the Cardiac MRI Case Log →Free, de-identified, attending sign-off by email. Already use the Cardiac CT Case Log? Sign in with the same email. Didn't get our email? Please check your junk or spam folder, since messages from us may be filtered.
The short version
- SCMR Level I is literacy, not independent reading: about 1 month and 50 mentored cases1. COCATS 4 Level I for all cardiology fellows is 1 month and 25 cases3.
- SCMR Level II (Independent Practitioner): 150 supervised studies, 50 of them hands-on (present at the scan, did the analysis and the initial read), 3 months of training and 50 h of CMR coursework1.
- SCMR Level III (Advanced Practitioner / lab director): 300 studies, 100 hands-on, 12 months1.
- CBCMR is the US board exam (run by Inteleos). Most people qualify through documented Level 2–3 training: 150 exams, 50 physically present5,6.
- Practicing 10+ years without a letter? SCMR’s Grandfathering pathway (Level III equivalent) is open until March 31, 2027. Details below.
Eligibility guide: which route fits you?
Answer these in order. The case log has the same guide under “What do I need?” and turns your answers into a checklist with live progress.
- Are you still in training?
- Radiology or cardiology resident / general fellow: aim for Level I (SCMR 50 cases / 1 month; COCATS 25 cases / 1 month). → SCMR Level I or COCATS Level I
- Doing 3+ months of dedicated CMR (elective, mini-fellowship, advanced imaging year): aim for Level II (150 / 50 hands-on). → SCMR Level II or COCATS Level II
- A full CMR year and you will run a lab or teach: Level III (300 / 100). → SCMR Level III
- You can sit CBCMR as a Testamur in your final or penultimate year, or within 24 months of finishing5.
- Do you want the board exam (CBCMR)?
- You need a full medical licence and a primary board: ABIM cardiovascular disease, ABP pediatric cardiology, ABNM or ABR (or AOA equivalents)5.
- Formal training route: Level 2–3 under COCATS 4, SCMR 2018 or EACVI. ≥150 CMR exams, ≥50 physically present with acquisition and primary/initial interpretation, ≥3 months (12 × 35-hour weeks)6. → CBCMR training route
- Radiologist qualified in general MRI: the ACR route. The current CBCMR form asks for ≥50 CMR exams in the 36 months before applying and ≥30 h CMR CME during training6. ⚑ unverified The 2026 ACR practice parameter no longer lists these numbers8. → CBCMR ACR route
- No formal training: the clinical-experience route asks for ≥300 cases you directly performed and interpreted over ≥3 of the last 5 years, with ≥50% including cine and delayed enhancement7. ⚑ unverified Its status for new applicants in 2027 is unclear; confirm with CBCMR first. → CBCMR practice route
- Training ended more than 36 months before you apply? Add 100 CMR cases in the prior 24 months. Everyone outside that 36-month window also needs 15 h CMR-specific Category 1 CME in the prior 60 months5. → CBCMR maintenance
- Already practicing CMR for 10+ years, with no SCMR letter?
- If you can’t document standard Level II/III training, the SCMR Grandfathering pathway gives a Level III-equivalent verification. Apply by March 31, 2027. → SCMR Grandfathering
- If you can document training, use the standard Level II/III letter instead, then keep it current: Level II maintenance is 100 cases + 20 h CME every 2 years; Level III is 200 cases + 40 h1.
- Training or working in Europe?
- EACVI CMR certification: pass the exam, then submit a logbook within 24 months. Level 2 is 150 cases (50 in the control room), Level 3 is 300 (100), with minimums per category, ≤10% normal studies and ≤20% course cases9. The case log tags every study with the EACVI category and exports the EACVI columns.
SCMR Grandfathering (closes March 31, 2027)
Who it is for: physicians who have practiced CMR for at least 10 years after postgraduate training and are not eligible for the standard Level II/III or Legacy routes2.
- Level III maintenance volume and CME: about 200 cases and 40 h of CMR CME in the last 2 years. Your cover letter states both numbers; if either is lower, explain why (SCMR accepts context, for example a research- or teaching-heavy role)2.
- Significant contributions in at least 2 of 3 areas: education and mentorship, research, and commitment to the field (for example society or guideline work)2.
- Documents: cover letter, CV, board certificate(s), medical licence, and an attestation of good standing from your Division Chair, Department Chair or Clinical Vice Chair2.
- Fee and timing: $400 (SCMR members) / $800 (non-members), paid in the SCMR store; processing takes up to 8 weeks. The designation is “Experienced CMR Physician Level III Equivalent”2.
The case log’s SCMR grandfathering tab counts your last-2-year cases and CME, tracks the documents, shows the deadline countdown and drafts the cover-letter numbers. SCMR does not ask for a case list; the log is your own back-up record.
Requirements at a glance
A simplified summary. “Hands-on” means you were at the scanner (control room or console), did the image analysis and made the initial interpretation. “Library” means teaching-file, archive or course cases you read yourself.
| Pathway | Total studies | Hands-on / present | Library / course cases | Training time | CME / coursework | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCMR Level ISCMR 2018 guideline + verification page1,2 | 50 mentored | Not specified | Allowed | 1 month | — | Not for independent reading |
| COCATS 4 Level ITask Force 8 (2015)3 | 25 mentored | — | Allowed | 1 month | — | Required of all cardiology fellows |
| SCMR Level IISCMR 20181; 2024 letter template4 | 150 supervised | 50 | No cap stated | 3 months | 50 h CMR coursework | Template: 25 cardiac + 25 vascular, 8 weeks in-lab ⚑ unverified |
| SCMR Level IIISCMR 20181; 2024 template4 | 300 supervised | 100 | No cap stated | 12 months | 50 h coursework | QA, research and teaching; template 50 cardiac + 50 vascular ⚑ unverified |
| COCATS 4 Level IITask Force 83 | 150 | 50 (present, directed acquisition, primary reader) | ≤50 of the 150 | 3 months | — | Level III: 300 / 100, 12 months |
| CBCMR training routeInteleos form C/R 20206 | 150 | 50 physically present | Counted in the 150 | 12 × 35-h weeks | 15 h Cat 1 / 60 months (unless trained ≤36 months ago) | +100 cases / 24 months if training ended >36 months ago |
| CBCMR ACR routeInteleos form6; ACR 20268 | 50 in 36 months ⚑ unverified | — | — | General MRI qualified | 30 h CMR CME in training ⚑ unverified | Radiologists |
| CBCMR practice routeExperience attestation7 | 300 in ≥3 of the last 5 years ⚑ unverified | All directly performed + interpreted | Not counted | — | 15 h Cat 1 / 60 months | ≥50% with cine + LGE; status unclear ⚑ unverified |
| SCMR maintenanceSCMR 20181 | L II 100 / L III 200 every 2 years | As primary interpreter | — | — | 20 h / 40 h every 2 years | Grandfathering uses the Level III numbers |
| EACVI Level 2 / 3ESC/EACVI9 | 150 / 300 | 50 / 100 in the control room | ≤20% course cases | Logbook within 24 months of the exam | 25 h / 50 h ⚑ unverified | Category minimums, ≤10% normal, cap on external-centre cases |
| 2025 Advanced Training StatementACC/AHA/ASE/ASNC/SCCT/SCMR10 | Core 200 / focus 350 | 100 / 150 direct | — | Within fellowship | — | Case-mix minimums incl. 25–50 stress and 25–50 ACHD |
CBCMR vs CBCCT
| CBCCT (cardiac CT) | CBCMR (cardiac MR) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training route | 250 cases (≤50 non-contrast), ≥65 direct | 150 studies, ≥50 physically present |
| Radiology route | ACR route | ACR route ⚑ unverified |
| Practice route | Closed | 300 cases / ≥3 of 5 years ⚑ unverified |
| Recent cases if trained long ago | 150 contrast in 36 months | 100 in 24 months (training >36 months ago) |
| CME | 20 h CT Category 1 in 36 months | 15 h CMR Category 1 in 60 months |
CT details: Cardiac CT Training & Certification.
What to log for each study
- The study date and where it was done (home centre or another site). Never a patient name, MRN, accession number or date of birth.
- One main category (the EACVI list: viability, stress, function, valves, aorta, congenital, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, pericardium, mass, angiography) plus the sequences used.
- How you were involved: at the console, via a virtual console, or reading only; whether you directed the acquisition and did the analysis yourself; primary or initial reader.
- Whether it was a live clinical case, an archive/teaching-file case or a course case. Course and library cases are counted separately, because several pathways cap them.
- Your supervising physician, so they can verify the case. Practice routes (Grandfathering, maintenance) don’t need a supervisor.
Where the sources disagree
- SCMR 2018 guideline vs the 2024 letter templates. The templates add a cardiac/vascular split and in-lab weeks that the 2018 guideline doesn’t state. The case log tracks both and marks the template numbers ⚑ unverified.
- Virtual console. SCMR’s 2021 statement allows Level II hands-on cases through a two-way virtual console11. The CBCMR form says “physically present”. The case log counts virtual-console cases for SCMR but not for CBCMR or EACVI until CBCMR confirms. ⚑ unverified
- ACR numbers after 2026. The revised ACR practice parameter no longer lists case or CME numbers; the CBCMR form still quotes the older ones. ⚑ unverified
- CBCMR clinical-experience route. Inteleos pages describe it inconsistently for 2027 applicants. We have asked CBCMR; until they answer, treat it as uncertain. ⚑ unverified
- Teaching-file caps. COCATS caps library cases at 50 of 150 and EACVI caps course cases at 20%; SCMR states no cap.
Sources
- Kim RJ, et al. Guidelines for training in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2018;20:57. DOI
- SCMR. Physician Verification: Level I–III and Grandfathering (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Kramer CM, et al. COCATS 4 Task Force 8: Training in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging. JACC 2015;65:1822–31. JACC
- SCMR letter templates 2024: Level II · Level III
- Inteleos. CBCMR Eligibility and Resources · CBCMR exam (accessed October 17, 2026)
- CBCMR Formal CMR Training Verification Letter, Cardiology/Radiology. PDF
- CBCMR Clinical CMR Experience Attestation. PDF
- ACR–NASCI–SPR Practice Parameter for Cardiac MRI, revised 2026. ACR
- ESC/EACVI. Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance certification and CMR logbook template
- Baldassarre LA, et al. 2025 ACC/AHA/ASE/ASNC/SCCT/SCMR Advanced Training Statement on Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging. JACC (Table 3)
- Patel AR, et al. SCMR Level II training in a virtual environment. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2021;23:139. DOI
- Rajiah PS, Budoff M, Ghoshhajra B, et al. Training and Verification Requirements for Interpretation of Cardiac CT and MRI: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review. AJR 2025;224(3):e2431524.