I'm looking for some career counseling. What sorts of questions should
I be asking myself to find out if I would make a good radiologist?

To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, if I were asking about
being a professional basketball player instead of a radiologist, the
answer would be, "You have to be tall, athletic, be able to play in
front of a huge audience without losing your concentration, and have
excellent physical coordination."

Note that a radiologic technician is not the same thing as a
radiologist.

Hi Gremlin,

There are several subspecialties of radiology (i.e., diagnostic,
nuclear medicine, inverventional, etc.).

I have located a web site that gives a good description of the
important qualities needed by diagnostic radiologist. To large extent,
the skills detailed would be equally relevant in other subspecialties
of radiology such as nuclear medicine.

From the web site Kiwi Careers:

"DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGIST...
Skills
Diagnostic radiologists need to be able to communicate well with
patients... Skills in analysing and interpreting information and
diagnosing problems are very important, and good computer skills are
becoming increasingly useful.
Knowledge
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...
Personal Qualities
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.
Physical Requirements
Diagnostic radiologists need to have good eyesight (with or without
glasses)."
http://www.careers.co.nz/jobs/3c_doc/j80011h.htm

I hope this answers your question.  Best of luck with your career
plans!

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 03 May 2003 18:49 PDT

Gremlin,

I notice now that another researcher previously supplied information
to you from the Kiwi Careers web site.  I apologize for repeating the
same information here, but this question made no reference to the
earlier question. As such, I was unaware of it when I working on this
answer.

I will try to see if I can locate anything else on this subject.

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 03 May 2003 19:55 PDT

Again, my sincere apologies for giving you the radiologist information
from the Kiwi Careers web site.  When I was writing my first answer, I
was not aware that the same information had been previously provided
to you by my colleague Easterangel as an answer to one of your
questions submitted yesterday.

The principles and standards of the American College of Radiology will
give you an excellent idea of qualities expected of a good
radiologist.

See:
American College of Radiology
Article XIII Code of Ethics
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/7665-4674.html

Read this code of ethics, and ask yourself if you're the sort of
person who could meet the standards.

For example:

Are you the sort of person to whom patients should entrust to their
care?

Are you the sort of person who would be willing to rendering to each
of his patients a full measure of service and commitment?

Are you the kind of person who would strive continually to improve
your medical knowledge and skill and make these improvements available
to your patients and colleagues?

Are you the kind of person who is aware of his limitations and is
willing to seek consultations where appropriate?

Are you the kind of person who can keep information entrusted to you
confidential?

Are you the sort of person who will be able to treat other members of
the health care team with mutual respect?

--------

Also see the qualities listed in a sample personal statement for
someone applying to become a radiologist:

"I believe I possess certain qualities which enable me to become a
valuable member of this unique profession. My contemplative nature,
logical thought process, and attention to details will be assets in
interpreting films and formulating differential diagnoses. I receive
great satisfaction from working with others to solve complex clinical
problems, thereby achieving optimal results for our patients."
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:dajEApAooDQC:www.eddev.arizona.edu/lrc/Downloads/CV%2520Templates/SAM4PS.DOC+%22personal+qualities%22+radiologist&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&client=googlet

--------------

To get more of a sense of whether you're cut out for radiology, you
might consider reading some books about radiologists:

 "Radiology as an Art and Other Essays."
by John McClenahan, available from Alibris
http://www.alibris.com/search/detail.cfm?BID=8115724398

"Chasing Life's Shadows : Memoirs of a Roving Radiologist"
by David Chapman, listed on allbookstores.com
http://www.allbookstores.com/book/0754103536


If you enjoy reading fiction, you might be interested in some novels
in which radiologists are characters. Here are a few:

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "Cancer Ward."
One of the characters is "Vera Gangart, a young radiologist."
http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/solzhenitsyn401-des-.html
Available from Amazon.com 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0374511993

Cat Scan
by Larry R. Leichter
"Elisia Tobias, a brilliant, beautiful, young radiologist in training
has created an imaging device..."
Available from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0595160123/

Brain
by Robin Cook
"The head of the radiology department (in cooperation with some
members of the computer section) is developing a computer that will
read xrays."
http://www.epinions.com/content_11788258948
Available from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451157974

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 03 May 2003 19:57 PDT

Sorry for the typo above.  It should have read:

"... be willing to RENDER to each of his patients..."

Sorry about that.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by gremlin-ga on 03 May 2003 20:34 PDT

Sorry, inadvertently made an assumption about your gender in my
rating... I swear I'm not normally a misogynist.  :/

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 03 May 2003 20:49 PDT

No, you were right. I'm a he.

I can tell Juggler put a lot of thought into his answer.

Hello gremlin,

I’m a career counselor and I’d like to add some information to the
excellent resources you got from juggler-ga. Radiologists are medical
doctors specializing in radiology. So the first thing is to look at
what it takes to be a physician in terms of commitment of time and
money. Be sure to look at the links from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) and from the RSNA to get a feel for what it takes to
become a radiologist.

In addition, I’ve also collected some links to give you a feel for how
this profession is changing. Because of the new technologies in
bioinformatics and the demands of managed care, there are lots of
articles available to help you think through the economic aspects of
becoming a radiologist. Good luck with your explorations.

czh

http://www.rsna.org/medstudent/index.html
Medical Student Resources
It takes an excellent student to make a physician and an outstanding
one to make a radiologist. You will have to study thousands of medical
images, so tenacious memory is essential. Are you good at math,
chemistry, physics? Excellent! The foundation of your clinical
expertise is a thorough -- and for many, grueling -- grounding in
physical sciences.
What else will you need?
***** Be sure to read the rest of this page to get more detailed
information about what it takes to be a radiologist.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm
Physicians and Surgeons
Table 1. Percent distribution of M.D.s by specialty, 1999
Radiology 1.0%

http://www.imagingeconomics.com/about/
The Decisions in Imaging Economics Web Site is dedicated to helping
radiologists, radiology administrators, and health care executives
meet the increasingly complex economic challenges of providing quality
imaging in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
***** The business of radiology is changing because of recent
technology trends. Check out the archives to get a feel for what’s
involved in staying viable in this field.

http://www.superiorconsultant.com/Pressroom/Articles/RadiologyAcronyms.asp
A Guide to the Acronyms, Features and Trends in Radiology Technology
***** This is an interesting article about the changing technical
issues in radiology.

http://www.academicradiology.com/AR_2001/Feb01/5c020100175p.pdf
Social and Economic Issues in Imaging
Changes in the Job Market for Interventional Radiology as Detected
through a Help Wanted Index of Job Advertisements
***** This is a seven page report that might be of interest for
examining the job prospects in radiology.

http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/careers/careers.htm
RadiologyInfo is the Public Information Web site developed and funded
by the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of
North America. It was established to inform and educate the public
about radiologic procedures and the role of radiologists in
healthcare, and to improve communications.

http://www.rsna.org/
Radiological Society of North America
***** This is a portal that will help you explore many aspects of the
field of radiology. Be sure to check out the Career section.