A Look Into The Career Of A Radiologist

By: Sambriddi Adhikari

The job of a radiologist is to diagnose diseases, illnesses, and injuries through medical imaging. They use equipment such as MRIS, X-rays, and ultrasound to detect and diagnose anything occurring in the human body. Radiologists play a crucial role in healthcare today because without them and their accurate diagnoses, it would be challenging to find effective treatments for diseases. There are also a wide variety of radiologists, each of whom specializes in a different topic.

Radiology is a highly respected career option within the healthcare field, but the process of becoming a Radiologist is not an easy feat whatsoever. It takes around 13 years of schooling and training in total once you have completed high school, which is why it takes commitment, dedication, and passion in order to pursue this career. The first step for aspiring radiologists is to obtain their bachelor's degree, which takes 4 years of college. Then they are required to complete medical school, which gives students hands-on clinical experience and gives them an understanding of what to expect in their future careers. Once that has been completed and aspiring radiologists have acquired their MD( Doctor of Medicine)  or DO(Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), they go to a residency program for five years where they receive essential training by experienced doctors. Then some radiologists go to a fellowship program for a year or two to become specialized in a specific area of radiology such as diagnostic, radiation or interventional radiology. 

Once their schooling and training have been completed, they must obtain a license by passing the board exam before practicing in a hospital. Only after they have acquired a valid Radiology license, they can get hired and officially start practicing. Along with detecting and diagnosing illnesses, certain radiologists who have specialized in Interventional Radiology are involved in surgeries. They can perform procedures such as Angioplasty, biopsy, drainage of blocked organ systems, shrink tumors, and much more. 

Being a radiologist is a demanding career that requires a variety of skills from an individual outside of their educational knowledge. Communication and compassion are two very important skills to have when going into this career, because a radiologist needs to have the ability to communicate any conflict to their patients. They also have to have the utmost compassion for their patients, especially when delivering difficult and life-changing diagnoses. Overall,  the process to becoming a licensed radiologist is very long and demanding, but the end result of being able to impact the lives of others in such a positive way is very rewarding.

Works Cited

Cleveland Clinic. “What Is a Radiologist? What They Do, Training & Types.” Cleveland Clinic, 21 Sept. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24184-radiologist.

“How to Become a Radiologist: Steps to Take from High School.” Blog.collegevine.com, 20 Apr. 2021, blog.collegevine.com/how-to-become-a-radiologist/.

Radiology (ACR), Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and American College of. “What Does a Radiologist Do?” Radiologyinfo.org, 8 Feb. 2021, www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/article-your-radiologist.

“What Is a Radiologist?” Healthline, 21 Oct. 2022,