The Exciting World of Radiology

The day to day activities of a radiologist depends on the subspecialty, but all of them interpret images on a daily basis. If the image is a hard copy film, it is hung on a rolloscope, but it can also be reviewed on a PACS (picture archive and communication system) workstation. The practitioner can also work directly with the patient. Interventional radiology which includes angiography (the X-ray examination of blood vessels), biopsies, and abscess or fluid drainage has a lot of patient contact since the radiologist inserts tubes and catheters into the patient. Breast imagers also perform biopsies, in addition to cyst aspirations and other procedures. In neuroradiology, the practitioner will insert a needle directly into the spinal canal to get fluid for diagnosis or to put in a contrast fluid to evaluate the spinal cord.

All radiologists then review their image and dictate a report which includes the clinical history, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The report is then transcribed, approved by the radiologist, and sent to the referring doctor. The referring doctor now has the information he needs to treat his or her patient. A big part of the radiologist’s time is taken up by talking with the referring physician by phone or in person reviewing the images. A radiologist can be called upon to perform many different procedures.

What Kind Of Education Do You Need?

Because of all the things a radiologist is required to do, an enormous amount of education is required. First, one would have to finish high school. After high school there are four years of undergraduate work, four years of medical school, one year internship, and four years of residency. If a subspecialty area is desired, an additional one to two years of fellowship is required. After the second year of medical school there is a standardized test, called the USMLE step 1, and before graduating there is the USMLE step 2. After the internship there is the third part or the exam, USMLE step 3. This one is to get a medical license. While in residency training, one would take another standardized exam, which is two parts with the first being written and the second being oral. The written exam must be passed to enter the oral portion. This exam is to get Board certification in the field of radiology. There is a lot of required education, but it is all worth it.

How Much Will You Get Paid?

These highly specialized physicians make a lot of money. A radiologist can make anything from $250,000/yr to $800,000/yr depending on how many practitioners are in the group. The salary also depends on factors like over-time, vacations, etc. Radiology is an important field and there will always be a need for new practitioners. With new technologies that emerge in this field, radiology has a lot of promise.