Apprehensive about rads

[Medkid619]

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Hi all,
I'm pretty sure that I am applying to rads. I've talked to a few radiologists young (residents) and old (attendings) and across the board, all seem to love radiology. I want to love what I do as well. I am apprehensive, though, because being in a dark room all day without human interaction is not something that I'm passionate about. The residents have said that its a lot more fun/interesting when your doing it but its boring to watch. I do consider myself a people person and I enjoy talking to patients. However, as an almost M4, I haven't had to do most of the paper pushing and constant pager answering. I'm sure that this will get old quick (ie internship). I'm just finding it difficult to respond to, "what are you doing with your life" and when I say radiology people say, "Oh, you don't want to see patients." How do I write a personal statement about something like that? I LOVE technology, LOVE computers, LOVE procedures, enjoy human interaction, and HATE having to be in the hospital 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. Anyone out there want to comment on their experience? Is someone out there like me who is/did struggle with the decision? Thanks for the advice.

 

[Taurus]

Hi all,
I'm pretty sure that I am applying to rads. I've talked to a few radiologists young (residents) and old (attendings) and across the board, all seem to love radiology. I want to love what I do as well. I am apprehensive, though, because being in a dark room all day without human interaction is not something that I'm passionate about. The residents have said that its a lot more fun/interesting when your doing it but its boring to watch. I do consider myself a people person and I enjoy talking to patients. However, as an almost M4, I haven't had to do most of the paper pushing and constant pager answering. I'm sure that this will get old quick (ie internship). I'm just finding it difficult to respond to, "what are you doing with your life" and when I say radiology people say, "Oh, you don't want to see patients." How do I write a personal statement about something like that? I LOVE technology, LOVE computers, LOVE procedures, enjoy human interaction, and HATE having to be in the hospital 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. Anyone out there want to comment on their experience? Is someone out there like me who is/did struggle with the decision? Thanks for the advice.

As one PD told me, PS are as painful for them to read as they are for you to write.

A Pulitzer-level PS will get noticed, but how many of us can write at that level? Most of us create boring, unoriginal PS and that's ok because it's the rest of the application like your step 1 and 3rd year grades that has the heaviest weights. Even the interview has more weight than the PS.

However, one caveat: a poorly written PS, ie, spelling and grammatical errors, incomplete and runon sentences, etc, will get your application ditched in the trash quickly.

 

[UditNarayan]

Hey Taurus! Thanks for the information. How much do interviews actually play a part in the residency process? Ive heard that if you at least just come across as a pretty normal, interested, motivated person, thats all you really need if your paper application is solid.

As one PD told me, PS are as painful for them to read as they are for you to write.

A Pulitzer-level PS will get noticed, but how many of us can write at that level? Most of us create boring, unoriginal PS and that's ok because it's the rest of the application like your step 1 and 3rd year grades that has the heaviest weights. Even the interview has more weight than the PS.

However, one caveat: a poorly written PS, ie, spelling and grammatical errors, incomplete and runon sentences, etc, will get your application ditched in the trash quickly.

 

[Taurus]

Hey Taurus! Thanks for the information. How much do interviews actually play a part in the residency process? Ive heard that if you at least just come across as a pretty normal, interested, motivated person, thats all you really need if your paper application is solid.

That's really dependent on the program and specialty type. Most people are nice, polite, and normal and the interview can't distinguish. The strange people get weeded out by the interview. So for most people, the interview doesn't help all that much but a bad interview will hurt you a lot.

 

[colbgw02]

The advice above regarding personal statements is spot on. If you have no red flags on your application that require explanation, then you're likely better off with something simple and bland. You're more likely to distinguish yourself in a bad way with a creative personal statement than vice versa.

Patient contact is extremely over-rated. I, too, was brainwashed into thinking that there was something wrong with me for wanting to do radiology because it has limited patient contact. In truth, that's one of the best things about the field. I admire people who can see patients in clinic day after day without losing their minds, but there's nothing wrong with not wanting to put up with it.

Also, don't equate patient interaction with human interaction. I may only speak with a handful of patients everyday, if any, but I'm constantly speaking with ordering providers, technologists, etc.

It seems like radiology programs, perhaps more so than other specialties, care about your numbers, meaning your step 1 score and your grades (in that order). Assuming that you don't pee your pants or sleep with the program director's spouse on the interview, then your numbers will largely determine to which programs you are accepted.

 

[UditNarayan]

Hmm thanks so much for the info! That's what I was thinking, and the type of info that I was trying to figure out.

The advice above regarding personal statements is spot on. If you have no red flags on your application that require explanation, then you're likely better off with something simple and bland. You're more likely to distinguish yourself in a bad way with a creative personal statement than vice versa.

Patient contact is extremely over-rated. I, too, was brainwashed into thinking that there was something wrong with me for wanting to do radiology because it has limited patient contact. In truth, that's one of the best things about the field. I admire people who can see patients in clinic day after day without losing their minds, but there's nothing wrong with not wanting to put up with it.

Also, don't equate patient interaction with human interaction. I may only speak with a handful of patients everyday, if any, but I'm constantly speaking with ordering providers, technologists, etc.

It seems like radiology programs, perhaps more so than other specialties, care about your numbers, meaning your step 1 score and your grades (in that order). Assuming that you don't pee your pants or sleep with the program director's spouse on the interview, then your numbers will largely determine to which programs you are accepted.

 

[Caffeinated]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

 

[eddieberetta]

Lets not forget about IR, INR, US and Mammo, where radiologists can have anywhere from some optional to lots of mandatory patient interaction, clinics, admitting, etc.

 

[rem6775]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

As someone who is leaning toward radiology over a couple other specialties, this was a very insight post. Thanks for the perspective.

 

[deuce924]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

I agree with rem6775. Very insightful and informative post. Thanks.

 

[fun8stuff]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

spot on. couldn't have said it better (As another rads resident).

 

[happysquirrel]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

Thank you for the insight. I'm in the same boat.

 

[shouldbemd]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

+5. Thanks for the info!

 

[colbgw02]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

I just didn't think this had been quoted enough.

 

[Medkid619]

@OP: It's pretty normal as a 4th year med student to be apprehensive about radiology. I am not saying all successful radiology residents were apprehensive at your level-- some know rads is their calling from day 1. However, for others, the stigma of "alone in a dark room" is enough to make them second guess rads. From my perspective, with about 1 yr of rads residency behind me, it is so much more fun to be doing radiology rather than watching it. Sure, I spend a lot of time in a dark room. But it is definitely not boring time, and I have no problem staying energized. You find out very early in residency that clinicians, although they love to poke fun at radiology, will turn to you in times of desperation. It is incredibly rewarding (and sometimes humbling) when you realize that what you see (or don't see) will have a great impact on patient care. ER docs will make decisions to discharge versus admit based upon your findings. Surgeons will come in to your reading room, ask for your input, and will base their decisions on whether patient goes to surgery on what you say. This is one of the most stressful yet rewarding parts of radiology.

As for direct patient contact, it is a mixed blessing. I had a healthy amount of patient contact in my former lives before radiology. Yes, it can be very rewarding to be involved in patient's lives the way a primary care physician is. But it can also drain you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now that I am a radiology resident, I don't have patients bringing me cookies, fruitcake, chocolate, liquor, etc. But I also don't have to deal with drug seekers, borderline personality disorders, fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, or chronic back pain patients. No more 15 minute appointments with your brand new 70 year old patients with dementia, who have a 3 page medication list, no family members accompanying them, and are unable to hear your questions, let alone explain why they are taking 2 different ACE inhibitors, an ARB, 3 different PPIs and an H-2 blocker.

On the other hand, I know that none of my patients are bragging to their friends about me. I doubt that any of my patients have ever said "Dr. Caffeinated is the BEST radiologist ever, and he read my chest CT!" or "Thank God for Dr. Caffeinated, he saved my husband's life!" Just because I don't get the glory does not mean that I don't get job satisfaction. Just because I never actually meet most of my patients does not mean that I do not care about them. Some doctors need the ego boost that direct patient contact gives them. I thought I might be one of those people, and I too was initially apprehensive about going into rads. As it turns out, I'm ok without it. I have discovered that a job well done really is its own reward.

But don't think that rads it not about talking to people. A few times a day, I do need to speak with patients. I also spend a healthy amount of time talking with clinicians. I have found that my interactions with my fellow physicians can be just as rewarding as direct patient contact.

The last factor to consider is longevity in your chosen profession. When you are young, idealistic, and full of energy, it's easy to get excited over the drama and excitement of other specialties. But after speaking with many ER docs and surgeons, I have found that a lot of them outgrow these aspects of their profession. Trauma, critical care, and complicated surgeries are sexy when you are single in your 20s and early 30s with no kids. But add a spouse and kids, and some people start to look at their job differently. Radiology is a profession you can continue to grow into, and will continue to grow with you. It's rare that anyone flees radiology to go into another field of medicine; but there are a lot of people in radiology who are transplanted from another specialty.

Bottom line -- if you are apprehensive, this does not mean that you should walk away from rads. Spend some time on introspection, be honest with yourself about what you like and dislike about medicine, and give some serious thought about what you expect from life in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Don't do rads only for the lifestyle if that's the only thing that excites you about it, because it may disappoint. But don't walk away immediately because you fear the lack of patient contact. When you are up to your eyeballs in patient contact, you might be disappointed that you did not give radiology a chance.

Best of luck,
Caff

Thanks Caff... I'm beginning to see this now in my Family Practice Rotation.

 

[Caffeinated]

Thanks, everyone. 😳