Does radiology become more or less social after residency?

[GoPelicans]

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Residency has been a somewhat socially isolating experience, made worse during the pandemic by >50% of my attendings working remotely close to full time. Earlier this year I went almost 3 weeks without seeing my attending for the day in person, and days I know I will be alone the entire day I don't really look forward to going to work. Kinda wish I had a little more human interaction, besides a random person calling me on the phone once in a while to ask where a line is. Just wondering if it get worse after residency?

 

[2brads]

For you, it will probably get better. Unless you do tele. I would recommend getting a job where you do some procedures or do breast if you want some daily human interaction.

My residency (precovid) was amazingly social. I’m an introvert and there was still always an invite to go somewhere or do something with the other residents and sometimes the attendings. Sorry your experience is lacking. You should be having fun.

 

[letmebe]

Residency has been a somewhat socially isolating experience, made worse during the pandemic by >50% of my attendings working remotely close to full time. Earlier this year I went almost 3 weeks without seeing my attending for the day in person, and days I know I will be alone the entire day I don't really look forward to going to work. Kinda wish I had a little more human interaction, besides a random person calling me on the phone once in a while to ask where a line is. Just wondering if it get worse after residency?

So far have not had many days where attendings are not on site, but I echo your sentiment on having (many) days that feel really socially isolating. It feels like it worsens my productivity at work too. Sorry, I’m not providing anything of value to answer your question, but just wanted to say I feel like I go through the same. If you’re still able to be very productive after the first few hours when you’re continuously sitting alone in the dark, then that’s a great feat in my opinion.

 

[Chemdude]

It depends on the type of practice you join. Most community practices have very limited social interaction inside of the reading room. You don't have time to socialize when the list is growing and you want to be out by 5 PM. Academics is different. An academic radiologist has to interact regularly with ordering clinicians and trainees.

 

[Tiger100]

Private practice is definitely not a social environment for most fields but especially for radiology.

You should work to live. Your real life should be 80% outside work. My 2 cents.

 

[qwerty89]

Private practice is definitely not a social environment for most fields but especially for radiology.

You should work to live. Your real life should be 80% outside work. My 2 cents.

Yep. I do 100% outpatient so there is only 1 radiologist at each of the outpatient centers. You will talk with techs and patients during the occasional fluoro or minor procedure like arthrograms but otherwise you are in your reading room cranking through cases.

My friends in hospital based groups also spend a lot of time at outpatient imaging centers. Same experience. Even in the hospital rarely does anyone come down to the reading room anymore anyway.

Keep in mind that even as a hospitalist you aren't going to be shooting the **** in a workroom like you did as residents. Everyone wants to get **** done and go home as soon as possible.

Now your residency experience is definitely an anomaly. WFH for attendings is great but it really takes away the residency experience for residents.

 

[qxrt]

Diagnostics is pretty much a solo sport. In IR, though, you work constantly with the techs and nurses, other docs call you about procedures/consults, reps come support you when using their devices, etc., so it's much more social, and in all of the groups I've worked with, the IR crew is like its own family, with docs/nurses/techs/reps often bringing food for everyone or celebrating birthdays with cakes. It's a big part of why I like IR.

 

[Cognovi]

Get an academic job at a large program with big shared reading rooms, many trainees, and frequent multidisciplinary and intradepartmental conferences.

 

[Clean7795]

Depends a lot on the group culture as well. Some groups are just chronically dysfunctional and you will see that in how people interact, whereas others have a great working relationships.

 

[Tiger100]

It all depends on personal preferences. But sitting behind a computer and reading a long list of studies can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your personality.
I have some colleagues who love to be on their own for many hours without interruption. They listen to music, podcasts or even play a movie on the background and dictate endless number of studies and they love it.

Different stokes for different folks.

FYI, most radiologists don't want to do IR or breast.

 

[GadRads]

FYI, most radiologists don't want to do IR or breast.

I would add nucs to the list.

 

[qxrt]

And peds. And MSK.

Many if not most rads don't want to read anything outside of their subspecialty if they could choose their ideal job. They do it because they have to.

 

[Tiger100]

And peds. And MSK.

Many if not most rads don't want to read anything outside of their subspecialty if they could choose their ideal job. They do it because they have to.

MSK fellowship is relatively popular.

Peds has a limited job market.

 

[Taurus]

there are now a bunch of Tele Breast Imaging positions, which has changed the dynamic.

Very limited and not a game changer. You can realistically only do screeners and MRI’s remotely. Very risky to be doing diagnostic exams via telerads. You are very dependent on the equipment and skill of the on-site staff like the sonographers. You can’t go in and physically examine the area of concern. You can’t scan the patient yourself with ultrasound. If you spend any time in breast imaging, we all know sonographers who overcall or undercall lesions. Talking to patients over the phone not the same as in person. You obviously can’t do biopsies remotely.

 

[qxrt]

MSK fellowship is relatively popular.

Peds has a limited job market.

There are more IR graduates than MSK graduates each year, so it's a bit hard to reconcile your statements "Most rads don't want to do IR" with "MSK fellowship is relatively popular." Unless you are referring to "most" as >50%, in which case it is technically correct to say most radiologists don't want to do any specific fellowship, including IR, MSK, neuro, etc.

If we talk about practice, you are absolutely correct in that more non-MSK rads are willing to read MSK exams than non-IR rads who are willing to do IR procedures.

Anyway, I only mention it because I thought the dichotomy was funny. I do not mean to get into an internet argument or anything about this.