A typical week in the life of a Radiologist?

[Ea84]

Hello all,

I'm a pre-med who just started community college a couple months ago (planning to transfer later on to a university) and I've taken an interest in Radiology as a specialty in the medical field. I've already done plenty of research on the profession and know enough about it's job aspects to make me want to pursue it (though I haven't shadowed any radiologists yet), but I was just wondering, aside from the critical responsibilities that a radiologist takes care of when reading scans, what a radiologist does in a typical week to 4-week period? (I know these questions are answerd by simply shadowing, but I'm just asking to get a general idea beforehand)

Specifically, Is there a large degree of paperwork or having to deal with insurance companies at all? And although I'm glad I won't have as much patient interaction, how many times do you meet with other physicians to discuss scans they might of asked for? (I'd much rather deal with them than patients, as cold as that sounds! ) Also, I've heard some can even work from home? What is an example of this? One last question, What could be a potentially high-stress situation of a radiologist?



Thanks in advance,
EA

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[Neuronix]

Why don't you ask on auntminnie.com. They have a lot of Radiologists on that site. There's no Radiologists on this forum.

 

[Abacab]

Ea84, twice in your brief post you mention that you'd prefer not to deal with patients. If that's the case, why don't you just stay away from the field of medicine? Some people go through medical school and find that they don't care for patient contact or get fed up with patients over time...well if you already know you don't want to deal with them, then you're a step ahead and would be better served looking at a different profession entirely. You also seem enticed by the idea of working from home...great, but it's a long road ahead with four years of med school and, if accepted, an arduous five years of residency training before you even get to call yourself a radiologist.

 

[Ea84]

Ea84, twice in your brief post you mention that you'd prefer not to deal with patients. If that's the case, why don't you just stay away from the field of medicine? Some people go through medical school and find that they don't care for patient contact or get fed up with patients over time...well if you already know you don't want to deal with them, then you're a step ahead and would be better served looking at a different profession entirely. You also seem enticed by the idea of working from home...great, but it's a long road ahead with four years of med school and, if accepted, an arduous five years of residency training before you even get to call yourself a radiologist.

Oh, although I prefer not to deal with patients, It doesn't mean that I wouldn't be uncomfortable doing so. I'm already prepared to deal with them and be kind, respectful, and make the best out of a tough situation like with unpleasant patients. (besides, I know some will be good, respectful patients too.)

I know virtually all medical professions deal with patients in some way...but then again, doesn't every profession deal with people in some way as well? And trust me, I've really tried to look into other professions besides medicine...but no matter how much research I do on careers, how many people and counselors I ask, how many scenarios of my future I come up with, I never truly find myself 100% happy/satisfied/drawn to any other profession. I can't explain it; somehow, sitting in a board room with a bunch of business executives and financial/market analysts talking about money profits/margins/expenses about some boring company seems even more arduous than medical school OR residency. Yes, I know that sounds extremely naive, but it's the same feeling I get with not just business but every other career...computer technology, engineering, aerospace, teaching, law/politics, military, sports, virtually anything that is actually worth-while is something I can't think of myself as being happy doing.

So, out of all the boring professions, why am I drawn to medicine when it's undoubtedly one of the hardest professions to get into? Well, that's just it... I don't know for sure. I like the fact that, if I make it through all the stress, training, hard work, and self-sacrifice and make it through on the other end, I would feel amazing self-accomplishment. And I didn't really expect to work from home, I'd like to work in a hospital where I'm surrounded by other physicians who more or less went through the same ordeals as me. Intellectual satisfaction is another aspect of it. I get pumped when I think about earning that "M.D" next to my name, making a pretty good salary,and all of it based on personal effort and "what I know" and not "who I know" as it is in most professions like business and music/art/writing.

I know that I may be condemning myself to the hardest years of my life, but its also because of that that I am all the more willing to prove, at least to myself, that I am capable of great things. Working in a hospital, reading patient scans, helping to diagnose a problem that other physicians maybe did not see before, I want that. I can't explain what it is about medicine that attracts me, I just feel drawn to it. If that means I have to be on call all night and get up at 4 a.m. to work 10+ hours in a stressful environment in residency, or studying 8 hours a day for Step 1, or dealing with fussy patients or never working from home, or accumulate 250K debt, or being paid 200K instead of 400K due to health care reform, then so be it. At least, when I'm old, crippled, and in my final days, I can reflect on my life and rest knowing I did my best, it paid off in various accomplishments, and I helped make a difference in some people's lives, even if its just behind the scenes (which is how I prefer it to be, hence I don't want to be directly 100% in charge of whether a patient lives or dies like say a surgeon.)

I know a lot of this sounds poetic, hopeful and naive...but I can't help it. It's what I think and what I feel. If I find out medicine isn't for me through the hard way...well then, It was my mistake and I hope I'll learn from it. But for now, all I think about is Radiologist Enrique A., M.D.

 

[GH253]

Ea84, twice in your brief post you mention that you'd prefer not to deal with patients. If that's the case, why don't you just stay away from the field of medicine? Some people go through medical school and find that they don't care for patient contact or get fed up with patients over time...well if you already know you don't want to deal with them, then you're a step ahead and would be better served looking at a different profession entirely. You also seem enticed by the idea of working from home...great, but it's a long road ahead with four years of med school and, if accepted, an arduous five years of residency training before you even get to call yourself a radiologist.

I disagree. There's nothing wrong with preferring the solitary, technical nature of radiology over the patient contact involved in other fields. The world needs radiologists as much as any other kind of doctor. If one is attracted to radiology, that is, if he likes the idea of interpreting images and consulting with other physicians, and he believes that this work will make him happy, and he is willing to put in the work to get there, then he should pursue a career as a radiologist. If you would rather work with patients, you can pick another speciality. There is no universal law of medicine which dictates that everyone in the field of healthcare should cherish patient contact above all else.

 

[synapse lapse]

I'm sick of crap like this. There's nothing wrong with preferring radiology over patient contact. The world needs radiologists as much as it needs any other kind of doctor. If one is attracted to radiology, that is, if he likes the idea of interpreting images and consulting with other physicians as opposed to treating patients, and is willing to put in the work to get there, then he should pursue a career as a radiologist. If you don't like that, pick another speciality. There's nothing about medicine which requires everyone in the field to cherish patient contact above all else. Let me guess, a liberal?

I think the main problem is it's dangerous to pursue a career based on only one possible specialty you are interested in without any guarentees of success. There are a lot of things you will have to go through to get there, including 4 years of medical school and a radiology residency which may or may not be what you expected it to be. Then you are hoping that career is really what you enjoy, and not just a fantasy you have built it up to be. What if you find out medicine isn't interesting to you? Or you don't do well enough and fail to get into rads? Unfortunately ours is a field where we spend a lot of years training and a lot of money to get a set of skills that is poorly transferable to other careers. This isn't true of many other careers, where there is mobility as one builds up their skill sets and they also lack the huge debt load.

 

[GH253]

I think the main problem is it's dangerous to pursue a career based on only one possible specialty you are interested in without any guarentees of success. There are a lot of things you will have to go through to get there, including 4 years of medical school and a radiology residency which may or may not be what you expected it to be. Then you are hoping that career is really what you enjoy, and not just a fantasy you have built it up to be. What if you find out medicine isn't interesting to you? Or you don't do well enough and fail to get into rads? Unfortunately ours is a field where we spend a lot of years training and a lot of money to get a set of skills that is poorly transferable to other careers. This isn't true of many other careers, where there is mobility as one builds up their skill sets and they also lack the huge debt load.

These are all valid points.

 

[Ea84]

I think the main problem is it's dangerous to pursue a career based on only one possible specialty you are interested in without any guarentees of success. There are a lot of things you will have to go through to get there, including 4 years of medical school and a radiology residency which may or may not be what you expected it to be. Then you are hoping that career is really what you enjoy, and not just a fantasy you have built it up to be. What if you find out medicine isn't interesting to you? Or you don't do well enough and fail to get into rads? Unfortunately ours is a field where we spend a lot of years training and a lot of money to get a set of skills that is poorly transferable to other careers. This isn't true of many other careers, where there is mobility as one builds up their skill sets and they also lack the huge debt load.

yes, very valid points...and it really does tug at the back of my mind, about me making radiology seems more like a dream career than a realistic job. But like GH said, I find interpreting images fascinating and interfacing with other physicians a lot more comfortable than patients...but on the other side of the coin, I know there's bound to be plenty of physicians who want to put a knife in my back or are otherwise inherently hostile...not to mention the person in charge of my residency has the ultimate power to either make my life a bearable undertaking or a living hell during residency. Assuming I even match to a good program of course. And it's a great fear of mine, to get into radiology at a hospital and not like it, whether it's the career itself, or more likely, the environment and the people in it.

At the moment, I'm still keeping my career options open...but so far there's nothing like radiology and hence why I don't budge when it comes to other careers, even other specialties in medicine. I may be dooming myself to a horrible tragedy by putting all my money in one boat about to sail through the perfect storm...but I'm more than willing to give it my all.

 

[Neuronix]

Why don't you ask on auntminnie.com. They have a lot of Radiologists on that site. There's no Radiologists on this forum.

Sigh, it didn't work

 

[Ea84]

Sigh, it didn't work

ah yes, i forgot to ask, what is auntminnie exactly?

 

[synapse lapse]

ah yes, i forgot to ask, what is auntminnie exactly?

auntminnie.com is a radiology specific site with its own forums.

 

[Neuronix]

ah yes, i forgot to ask, what is auntminnie exactly?

If you type into your browser URL bar: auntminnie.com you will find out very quickly.

My earlier subtle point is that if you search this forum and the forums on AM, you will find your questions being asked roughly every week.

 

[Ea84]

Ah yes, you're right! I got most of my answers right away! Problem solved.

Thanks!!

 

[fun8stuff]

I think the main problem is it's dangerous to pursue a career based on only one possible specialty you are interested in without any guarentees of success. There are a lot of things you will have to go through to get there, including 4 years of medical school and a radiology residency which may or may not be what you expected it to be. Then you are hoping that career is really what you enjoy, and not just a fantasy you have built it up to be. What if you find out medicine isn't interesting to you? Or you don't do well enough and fail to get into rads? Unfortunately ours is a field where we spend a lot of years training and a lot of money to get a set of skills that is poorly transferable to other careers. This isn't true of many other careers, where there is mobility as one builds up their skill sets and they also lack the huge debt load.

plus medicine and radiology could be a lot different by the time you finish, 8-10 yrs from now!