Doctors and surgeons need radiologists to help them accurately diagnose conditions and improve operative planning. Fifty-seven percent of non-U.S. IMGs matched into a diagnostic radiology residency program in the 2016 Main Residency Match.
As promised, this is the first post in a series about medical specialties that IMGs frequently match into, with the goal of helping you think through some of your options. First up: diagnostic radiology.
What is diagnostic radiology?
As a diagnostic radiologist, you’ll use X-rays, radionuclides, ultrasound, and electromagnetic radiation to diagnose and treat disease. Before you can specialize in a particular area of radiology, you’ll first need to become certified in diagnostic radiology.
The training takes five years and includes:
- One year of clinical training
- Four years of radiology training
- An added year of training during a fellowship (for the majority of trainees)
Radiologists are vital to a health care team
Successful health care teams need radiologists because their expertise helps develop and interpret the various scans and imaging modalities physicians and surgeons use every day. Radiology has provided advances such as CT and MRI that allow doctors and surgeons to more accurately diagnose problems and improve operative planning. They also use CT and ultrasound to perform minimally invasive biopsies.
A skilled radiologist may often pick up on subtle findings that are overlooked by surgeons, such as the presence of benign and malignant lesions.
Subspecialties in diagnostic radiology
You can certify into six subspecialties of diagnostic radiology, which will require added training and examination. Those subspecialties are:
- Hospice and palliative medicine. Hospice and palliative medicine helps prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses.
- Neuroradiology. Neuroradiology diagnoses and treats disorders of the brain, sinuses, spine, spinal cord, neck, and central nervous system.
- Nuclear radiology. Nuclear radiology administers trace amounts of radioactive substances (radionuclides) to provide images and information to make a diagnosis.
- Pain medicine. Pain medicine provides care for patients with acute, chronic, and/or cancer pain in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Pediatric radiology. Pediatric radiology uses imaging and interventional procedures to diagnose, care for, and manage abnormalities that are present at birth as well as diseases that are specific to infants and children.
- Vascular and interventional radiology. Vascular and interventional radiology uses various radiologic imaging technologies to contribute to therapies such as angioplasty, stent placement, thrombolysis, embolization, abscess drainages, and more.
A radiology resident’s average hours and pay
According to the American Medical Association Residency & Fellowship Database (aka FREIDA Online), these are the average hours and pay you can expect as a radiology resident:
- Average hours on duty per week: 50.9
- Average maximum consecutive hours on duty: 15.7
- Average days off duty per week: 1.7
- Average resident/fellow compensation: $54,939
Diagnostic radiology and The Match for IMGs
This report published by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) points out the IMG applicants whose preferred specialty was diagnostic radiology in the 2016 Main Residency Match:
- Total positions offered in diagnostic radiology: 1,168
- Total number of all applicants: 1,220
- Number of all applicants per position: 1.04
- U.S. IMGs
Matched: 76
Not matched: 42
Total: 118 - Non-U.S. IMGs
Matched: 101
Not matched: 76
Total: 177
Diagnostic radiology is highest match for non-U.S. IMGs
According to the same report, 48.4 percent of U.S. IMGs matched to their preferred specialty. For non-U.S. IMGs, the overall match rate was 46.8 percent. The highest percent of matches for this group—57.1 percent—was in diagnostic radiology.
Why become a radiologist?
Dr. Harsh Shah, a former Kaplan blog contributor, explains why he decided to pursue a career in radiology:
“My early exposure to the field was further nurtured and sustained when I began my clinical rotations and observed the interconnection of radiology with every aspect of medicine. My fascination for searching for answers in the black and white, coupled with my passion for technology, led me to pursue a career in radiology.”
You’ll have your own reasons of course, but if you’re interested in a career where nearly every medical field uses your expertise on some level and where you can deliver efficient care when it matters most, consider diagnostic radiology as the specialty for you.
Whichever specialty you choose, it starts with the road to residency. Let us help smooth the way with Kaplan’s ResidencyPrep for international medical graduates.
The post Choosing a Medical Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology appeared first on Residency Secrets.