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Q: skills required to be a good radiologist ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: skills required to be a good radiologist
Category: Business and Money
Asked by: gremlin-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 02 May 2003 17:38 PDT
Expires: 01 Jun 2003 17:38 PDT
Question ID: 198657
What kinds of skills does it take to make a good radiologist? For
instance: certain personality traits, particular people skills,
eye-hand coordination, that sort of thing.
Answer  
Subject: Re: skills required to be a good radiologist
Answered By: easterangel-ga on 02 May 2003 18:16 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi! Thanks for the question.

Let us first look at the basic skills needed for a radiologist.

"Formal training programs in radiography range in length from 1 to 4
years and lead to a certificate, associate's degree, or bachelor's
degree. Two-year associate's degree programs are most prevalent."

"Some 1-year certificate programs are available for experienced
radiographers or individuals from other health occupations, such as
medical technologists and registered nurses, who want to change fields
or specialize in computerized tomography or magnetic resonance
imaging. A bachelor's or master's degree in one of the radiologic
technologies is desirable for supervisory, administrative, or teaching
positions."

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos105.htm 

In terms of extra of extra skills needed for radiologist such as
people skills the following traits are also important.

"Because technologists and technicians are on their feet for long
periods and may lift or turn disabled patients, physical stamina is
important."

"Radiologic technologists and technicians should be sensitive to
patients' physical and psychological needs. They must pay attention to
detail, follow instructions, and work as part of a team. In addition,
operating complicated equipment requires mechanical ability and manual
dexterity."

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos105.htm 

"Diagnostic radiologists need to be able to communicate well with
patients. Medical skills such as CPR and surgical skills such as
putting in stitches are also helpful. Skills in analysing and
interpreting information and diagnosing problems are very important,
and good computer skills are becoming increasingly useful."

"Diagnostic radiologists need to know about the human body and
diseases, chemistry, biology and medicines. They need to know about
the physics related to radiation theory, radiographic methods and
about handling unsealed radioactive sources. They also need to have a
good knowledge of medical ethics and the law."

"Diagnostic radiologists need to be observant and methodical, as well
as accurate, self-motivated and disciplined. They should have concern
for others, and be able to inspire confidence in others. They also
need to be able to work well under pressure."

"DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGIST"
http://www.careers.co.nz/jobs/3c_doc/j80011x.htm

"Because a radiologist is a physician first, you should have a good
heart and really want to help sick people. Without this kind of
commitment, I don't think you will be able to endure the rigorous
training of medical school. So, being a good human being is at the top
of the list."

"Next, you need to be bright, hard working, and conscientious, with
good verbal and written skills. You had better be a good reader. A
good memory is a definite asset."

"So, you want to be a Radiologist....."
http://www.mikety.net/POV/rad-info.html

Search terms used:     
radiologist people skills
                
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if  
you would need further information.  
                
Thanks for visiting us.                 
                
Regards,                 
Easterangel-ga                 
Google Answers Researcher

Request for Answer Clarification by gremlin-ga on 02 May 2003 18:53 PDT
Your first two sources are for radiologic technicians, which are
different from radiologists.

I liked the information from
http://www.careers.co.nz/jobs/3c_doc/j80011x.htm

Could you find a couple more sources that give that of information?

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 02 May 2003 19:32 PDT
Hi again and thanks for asking a clarification before providing a
rating.

I was able to find one more website which describes the necessary
skills specifically for diagnostic radiologist.

"Diagnostic radiologists should be level headed at all times. They
need to be meticulous, disciplined, and able to perform under
pressure. Communication skills, and increasingly, computing skills are
important. Medical skills such as CPR, and surgical skills such as
stitching, though not essential, are useful. Diagnostic radiologists
need to have good eyesight."

Radiologist
http://www.career.edu.my/path/desc.asp?career_id=135

Thanks!

Request for Answer Clarification by gremlin-ga on 03 May 2003 12:38 PDT
Supplying a second website which directly quotes one of your previous
sources isn't much help.

Let me clarify what I'm looking for. I'm a college student. I'm trying
to find out whether I could potentially make a good radiologist. So
I'm not interested in a list of classes I would need to take, nor I am
interested in a a web site that says it's important to go into
medicine "for the right reasons" (wanting to help people). I'm looking
for the skills that *can't* be taught, which is what I was trying to
get at with the examples I supplied in my original question, but
perhaps I should've said so explicity.

Someone who is short or klutzy shouldn't bother trying to become a
professional basketball player, because it's hopeless. Someone who
can't handle speaking in front of crowds probably shouldn't plan on
becoming an elected government official. So, similarly, what kind of
personality traits or abilities are vital to being a good radiologist,
such that, if I don't have them, I should rule out that career path?
The best example you've given so far is that you need good eyesight.
There were a few other things you found, such as "communicate well
with patients" and "be methodical" that were interesting, but they
need to be made more specific. If you could just find one new source
with this kind of info, I'd be happy.

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 04 May 2003 05:26 PDT
I am now in the process of finding the additional information you
require. It will take more time to acquire more resources at this
point. I will come back as soon as I find something.

Thanks for your patience. :)

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 04 May 2003 07:58 PDT
I have found the following advice on how to be a good radiologist from
these different articles.

"Part of being a good radiologist is keeping yourself attuned to the
needs of the hospital in which you are so conveniently ensconced. If
you happen to be the only one around, you need to prioritize your work
so that the most important things get done first and the things that
can wait, wait. Sometimes when the group is shorthanded by illness or
whatever, it may be necessary to keep filling in the breeches most of
the day and then sort things out later."

"A day with a Radiologist"
http://www.radiologychannel.net/insideradiology/radday.shtml

“'In my years as a board examiner, I’ve encountered the misconception
that what makes a good radiologist is good pattern recognition. In
other words, if you just see enough radiographic studies, you’ll begin
to recognize what looks like the same patterns appearing over and over
again. But, in reality,' Dr. Mark Finkelstein admonishes, 'this is not
at all true.'"

"He acknowledges that learning how to interpret what’s on film is
important, but says that what makes the difference in radiology is
understanding the medicine behind it. 'In other words, you have to see
the patient and understand the disease to understand the variation it
may present on the radiograph,' he explains. 'It’s not just about
what’s in the pictures.'"

"From a Radiologist’s Perspective: It’s Not Just in the Pictures!"
http://www.christianacare.org/residency/residency_finklestein.cfm

According to our next article about a fellow radiologist, a good
radiologist should always be curious with new technology and should
cosntantly update his or her knowledge.

"'Dr. Roberts maintains an extraordinary level of excitement that was
exhilarating to me when I was a resident. He is highly curious about
new technology and is always attending educational courses. Dr.
Roberts taught me that a good radiologist has a combination of
interest and passion,' she says."

"93-Year-Old Radiologist Still Loves Practicing"
http://www.rsna.org/publications/rsnanews/dec02/roberts-1.html

Best Regards,
Easterangel-ga
gremlin-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: skills required to be a good radiologist
From: aceresearcher-ga on 03 May 2003 12:06 PDT
 
Greetings, gremlin!

As part of his training, my spouse was required to take a course in
Radiology. His comment to me was that, to be a good Radiologist, one
really had to have an "eye" for films -- the instructor would point
out things in films that my husband says he never would have seen on
his own. In other words, it helps greatly if you have a certain innate
ability for spotting **very minute** discrepancies from what would
appear on a film for a healthy subject.

Regards,

ace

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