Radiology

​What is Radiology? Radiologists, as defined by the American College of Radiology, are “medical doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging (radiology) procedures (exams/tests) such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) and ultrasound.” (1). They’re the kind of doctors who you’d see analyzing your X-ray to see if you’ve broken a bone. On the other hand, there are many subspecialties to radiology, so there are many different types of radiologists that you may not have heard of before! Education Pathway In order to become a radiologist, first you must graduate high school and earn a diploma. After graduating, take courses to earn an undergraduate degree (bachelor's degree). Although there is no major that you have to take in order to get into medical school, (surprise! You can major in anything you want!) you still need to fill out the pre-med requirements which involves several prerequisite classes to prepare you for medical school coursework. These classes include studying sciences like biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics, in order to give you some pre-earned knowledge before you apply to or study at medical school. After obtaining your undergraduate degree and finishing the pre-med required classes, you should apply to and attend medical school. Medical school is generally four years long, and involves the studies of things like anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, and biochemistry for the first two years. This is followed by two years of clinical rotations in different areas of medicine like pediatrics or internal medicine. After completing four years of medical school, complete a radiology residency program which is a combination of specialized medical education and paid on-the-job training. Some radiologists then go on to pursue a fellowship program and get further training so they can specialize even more. After all of this, you get a certificate as a licensed radiologist. It's a long, but rewarding, path. After all, radiologists score high on the level of happiness they have from their job, which puts them in the top 22% of all careers, and have an average salary of $419,000. For more information on the education pathway to becoming a radiologist, visit https://study.com/radiologist_education.html or check out our article on the pathway to becoming a doctor here! Subspecialties Neuroradiology is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the brain, spine and spinal cord, neck, sinuses, and central nervous system. A neuroradiologist would treat things like aging and degenerative diseases, seizure disorders, cancer, stroke, cerebrovascular diseases, and trauma to any of the areas listed above. Types of imaging most commonly used in neuroradiology include angiography, myelography, interventional techniques, and magnetic resonance imaging (also known as a MRI). A neuroradiologist needs two additional years of training-- one year of a fellowship and one year of practice or additional approved training-- in order to get a license. Nuclear Radiology is also known as Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. It is the use of small amounts of radioactive materials to diagnose or treat disease. Sometimes these materials are called radiopharmaceuticals or tracers, and are given by mouth or through an IV, although they are sometimes given through a urinary catheter or inhaled. According to Texas Children’s Hospital, “The radiopharmaceutical goes to the part of the body that needs to be imaged and produces radiation, which is detected by a special camera called a gamma camera.” (2). The images that are created from the emitted radiation are then used to help diagnose or treat a disease. Some examples of nuclear radiology procedures would be Lymphoscintigraphy (imaging of the lymphatic system), a DMSA scan (detailed pictures of the function of the kidneys), or a PET/CT scan (a scan of either the whole body or a specific region such as the brain). However, these are just a few examples, and there are many more types of procedures done by nuclear radiologists. Nuclear radiologists also make sure the radiopharmaceuticals are safe, and adhere to the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) laws. This is in order to minimize radiation exposure, which in large amounts can be dangerous. The usual residency to become a nuclear radiologist is 3 years. Pediatric Radiology is a radiology subspecialty focused on the diagnosis of injuries, illnesses, and diseases in infants, children, and adolescents, using imaging techniques and equipment. Pediatric radiologists make sure that radiologic testing is done safely, and use imaging techniques such as X-ray, MRI, CT scans, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine. Pediatric radiologists are also specially trained to understand the unique needs of children, and work with parents/guardians and pediatricians in the diagnostic process. Pediatric radiologists need detailed knowledge of diseases, illnesses, and injuries in infants and children, and also need to cater their equipment, procedures, and staff to the needs of children. Interventional radiology and diagnostic radiology is the subspecialty in radiology that is dedicated to using minimally-invasive image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in nearly every organ system. This is in order to prevent as much risk to the patient and have the best outcome with the technology available. You need six or seven years of training after medical school to become an interventional radiologist, because of the risk and complexity of the tools used in IR/DR. An interventional radiologist would make a few small incisions, usually in your abdomen, and use needles and catheters to treat conditions inside your body. Medical imaging is used to guide their catheters through your blood vessels, arteries, and organs. Some examples of IR procedures would be angioplasty (repairing or unblocking blood vessels), stenting (using small mesh tubes to treat narrow or weak arteries), thrombolysis (dissolving blood clots), embolization (blocking blood flow to cancer cells), radiofrequency ablation (relieving nerve pain), or biopsies (studying tissue). What can you do as a radiologist? Most radiologists are primarily involved in medical diagnosis, looking at digital images and x-rays. However, interventional radiologists may perform some therapeutic, image-guided procedures, in order to aid in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases or other health problems. Most radiologists work at or with hospitals to diagnose patients. Due to the nature of their work, radiologists can take calls from home, reading their scans on a computer linked into a hospital network. Although, most traditional, full-time radiology jobs still require the radiologist to be on-site at least part of the time, if not full-time. Things to consider Radiologists need to be extremely skilled in spotting small differences in medical imaging, which requires enormous visual focus and attention to details. Radiologists also need to be skilled at doing the most minimally invasive treatments or evaluations, and learn how to use specialized tools specific to their field of medicine. Radiologists also need to be prepared and have the stamina for many years of training and learning, so they can provide the best care possible to their patients. Sources: https://www.acr.org/Practice-Management-Quality-Informatics/Practice-Toolkit/Patient-Resources/About-Radiology https://study.com/radiologist_education.html https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/radiologist/satisfaction/ https://www.theabr.org/diagnostic-radiology/subspecialties https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/imaging/depts/neuroradiology https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/interventional-radiology/what_is_IR.html https://blog.radiology.virginia.edu/interventional-radiologist-definition/ https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/nuclear-radiology https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/nuclear-radiology/nuclear-radiology-procedures https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/pediatric-specialists/Pages/What-is-a-Pediatric-Radiologist.aspx https://www.thebalancecareers.com/radiologist-career-profile-1736301