Radiologists: The Hidden Light of Healthcare

By: Apeksha Agarwal

Radiologists are doctors who interpret and take various different x-rays of patients. By interpreting scans, they are able to find and diagnose injuries and diseases within a patient with quick action. But let's dive a little bit deeper into their scope of practice.

 When thinking about radiologists, peoples’ first thought is that they deal with x-rays. Which is right, but they also deal with many more machines. Radiologists handle and operate various types of technology from CT scans to MRI machines. Due to the wide span of scans taken of patients, radiologists are also known to specialize in certain areas to focus their practice on a certain part of the area. For example, a radiologist could specialize in neuroradiology, cardiovascular imaging, breast imaging, and pediatric radiology. This allows for them to choose from a broad range of specialties to work in, focusing their expertise into a certain area of practice.

In order to get to that stage, radiologists must go through intensive training and school. Firstly, in order to become a doctor of medicine, a student should obtain their bachelor’s degree and complete all the prerequisite classes needed for med school. After getting a bachelor’s degree, the student will head on to med school where they will take the MCAT exam and get qualified to become a doctor. During med school, students often look at whether they want to specialize in a certain area of medicine, such as radiology, gynecology, and many more. Once they have chosen a speciality they will have to complete an estimated 4-5 years of residency, where they will gain clinical experience in their chosen speciality. With all this schooling combined it takes approximately 13 years to become a radiologist, an additional 2-3 years of fellowship if they want to specialize further. 

Many people think that radiologists stay in a tiny dark room all day interpreting scans, which is actually wrong. In reality doctors in the field of radiology are often expected to collaborate with others. Radiologists refer to their patients’ physician, surgeon, and oncologist regarding treatment plans. The communication between the several doctors allows for the most effective and efficient treatment plans. 

In conclusion, radiologists are a vital part of healthcare. From performing medical imagining to diagnosing and treating patients’ their work holds great importance. Though most of their work happens behind the scenes, without their collaboration and efforts, many illnesses, diseases, and injuries could go unnoticed. Even though the field of medicine is quickly changing and evolving, radiologists will always stay in demand as they are the backbones to every minor to huge procedure.  

Works Cited:

“A Day in the Life of a Radiologist (With Job Duties).” Indeed, indeed editorial team, 26 july 2025.

“Medical Imaging: Modalities & Types of Equipment.” excedr, excedr, 5 july 2023, https://www.excedr.com/blog/medical-imaging-and-radiology-overview.

Torres, Callie. “How to become a Radiologist - 6 steps from undergrad to Medical licensing in Diagnostic Radiology.” University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 12 October 2021, https://www.umhs-sk.org/blog/how-to-become-a-radiologist. Accessed 31 July 2025.