How much do radiologists know medicine???

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ERCP22

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For a while I 've been pondering sort of similar questions. Clinical medicine is something I would hate to forget ..however, I like IR too much to continue to stick to medicine. I'd like for senior rad. residents and practicing radiologists to answer this question for me.

Do you really forget your clinical medicine after a few years of radiology training and practice? or Is it a fact that radiology actually reinforces your knowledge. I know a radiologist is not a practicing clinician rather a diagnostician but can you keep yourself on top of the ball in the latest treatment and stuff for the bread and butter of medicine?

Another question: Can radiologist prescribe without limitations?

Thanks guys...your comments are welcome.:thumbup:

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For a while I 've been pondering sort of similar questions. Clinical medicine is something I would hate to forget ..however, I like IR too much to continue to stick to medicine. I'd like for senior rad. residents and practicing radiologists to answer this question for me.

Do you really forget your clinical medicine after a few years of radiology training and practice? or Is it a fact that radiology actually reinforces your knowledge. I know a radiologist is not a practicing clinician rather a diagnostician but can you keep yourself on top of the ball in the latest treatment and stuff for the bread and butter of medicine?

i'll let radiology attendings and residents answer.

Another question: Can radiologist prescribe without limitations?

as long as the radiologist has a state license and a dea number, yes.

with that said, i know a few radiology residents who didn't apply for a dea number specifically because they don't feel comfortable.
 
I feel that I know a decent amount about basic clinical medicine, especially as it relates to imaging diagnoses. For example, what location of stroke should cause what symptoms, what symptoms someone with a carcinoid tumor might have, what the operative management of a multitude of surgical conditions may be, what labs will help establish a diagnosis. However, this is certainly limited compared to my clinical colleagues. The things I have already begun to forget is certain medications (I am still pretty comfortable with basic pain management and basic antibiotics).

That being said, being in an academic center or a resident certainly gives me a skewed view. Having seen how some private practice rads work, their clinical knowledge takes a back seat to reading as many studies as possible. Still, when clinicians come to review a study and presents you with additional clinical information, an understanding of the underlying pathology and the effects of how you interpret the study are essential. An example might be if an ER patient has an obstruction due to an internal hernia. When the ED doc says, "We'll just pop an NG in him and keep and eye on him till the morning," its imperative that you have the knowledge base to confidently tell him that he needs an emergent surgical consult due to the risk of bowel infarction in this kind of obstruction (true story).

I think, in general, good rads have a significant amount of clinical knowledge, but it is considerably superficial compared to those who specialize in that field.
 
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When calling a clinician to tell him that a patient had pneumonia I was asked (by a physician) which antibiotics to put the patient on. Obviously, I work at a teaching hospital.
 
When calling a clinician to tell him that a patient had pneumonia I was asked (by a physician) which antibiotics to put the patient on. Obviously, I work at a teaching hospital.

What, you couldn't at least see if it was gram +'ve or -'ve? Some radiologist you are :)
 
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