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Choosing the right medical specialty can be daunting. Despite the long and demanding path to becoming a physician, many trainees receive limited exposure to the wide range of career options available. Radiology, in particular, is often overlooked yet it plays a crucial role in nearly every field of medicine.
This comprehensive guide is designed to shed light for medical students, residents, fellows and attending physicians as to why radiology is a specialty very few leave once they ve entered, and many pivot into after starting down alternative career paths. It covers everything from an overview of residency programs and subspecialties to practical advice on job searches, essential career skills, professional interactions, long-term planning and work-life balance. Whether you re navigating the match process, preparing for interviews, negotiating a salary, or preventing burnout, radiologists from across the country share invaluable insights and personal experiences to help you build a fulfilling and rewarding career in this dynamic field.
List of contents
Part I. Training.- Diagnostic Radiology.- Integrated Interventional Radiology.- Combined Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.- Interviews.- The Match Process.- Transferring from a Different Specialty into Radiology.- Transferring from One Radiology Residency Program to Another.- International.- Abdominal.- Breast Imaging.- Cardiothoracic.- Cardiovascular.- Emergency Radiology.- Informatics.- Musculoskeletal.- Neuroradiology/Interventional Neuroradiology.- Nuclear.- Pediatrics.- Vascular and Interventional.- Part II. Your First Job Search.- Career Tracks.- Integrated Health Care Delivery Systems.- Applications.- Where to Look.- Interview Process.- Contracts, Negotiations and When to Find an Attorney.- Financial Aspect of Contracts.- Gender Inequality in Compensation.- Applying for Privileges/Licensure.- Moving.- Other Considerations.- Part III. After Starting Your First Job.- Preparing for Your First Day on the Job.- Understanding Your Work Environment and System s Information Technology.- Handling Your First Case as an Attending.- When to Ask for Help.- Billing and Insurances, RVUs and Other Revenue Streams.- The Doctor s Doctor: Working with Colleagues in Other Specialties.- What I Want From My Radiologist (The Referring Physician s Perspective).- Creating Good Working Relations with Your Referring Docs.- Educating Residents.- Interactions with Technologists, Support Staff, Nursing, and Administration.- Interactions with Industry.- The Faceless Radiologist No More: Interactions with Patients.- Professionalism.- Part IV. Long Term Goals and Planning.- Board Exams.- Learning New Procedures.- Research.- You Can t Spell Radiology without AI.- Disability and Life Insurance.- Conferences/CME.- Maintenance of Certification and Becoming a Fellow of the ACR.- Diversifying Your Career.- Leaving Your First Job and Finding Your Second One.- How to Advocate for Your Patients and Your Profession, the Ongoing Fight.- Maintaining Your Health.- Maintaining Personal Health and Family Life.- How to Deal with Stress and Burnout.- When Is a Good Time to Have a Baby?- Developing and Maintaining Interests Outside of Medicine.- Life as a Radiologist From a Spouse s Perspective.- Balancing Your Career with Family.
About the author
Jason P. Shames, MD, MBS, Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Lisa M. Zorn, MD, MPH, Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Kahyun Yoon-Flannery, DO, MPH, FACOS, Breast Care Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, NJ, USA
Summary
Choosing the right medical specialty can be daunting. Despite the long and demanding path to becoming a physician, many trainees receive limited exposure to the wide range of career options available. Radiology, in particular, is often overlooked—yet it plays a crucial role in nearly every field of medicine.
This comprehensive guide is designed to shed light for medical students, residents, fellows and attending physicians as to why radiology is a specialty very few leave once they’ve entered, and many pivot into after starting down alternative career paths. It covers everything from an overview of residency programs and subspecialties to practical advice on job searches, essential career skills, professional interactions, long-term planning and work-life balance. Whether you’re navigating the match process, preparing for interviews, negotiating a salary, or preventing burnout, radiologists from across the country share invaluable insights and personal experiences to help you build a fulfilling and rewarding career in this dynamic field.
