How to prepare for Radiology as a DO

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I am a current 1st year medical student and have many questions regarding a field I am interested in. How can I improve my chances in a residency in radiology right now? Is research important, high passes in 1st and 2nd years? Taking part in electives? Should I be looking up radiology programs that I could start shadowing (and make connections with now) and hopefully rotate there later?

I have heard that it might be easier to get into a radiology position if I apply broadly and as a DO route instead of the MD route. Does this have any validity in it? Would I be able to get into a residency program lets say in Oaklahoma (rather than NYC) with above average comlex scores?

Also, are there any tips on how I can start studying for the COMLEX exam now, rather than put it off till later? Which books are of importance for the COMLEX 1 exam that I could purchase now and slowly start preparing?

Please let me know. As a first year medical student, I have a lot of questions that I need to know to make sure I'm on the right track .

 

[kopitar]

I am a current 1st year medical student and have many questions regarding a field I am interested in. How can I improve my chances in a residency in radiology right now? Is research important, high passes in 1st and 2nd years? Taking part in electives? Should I be looking up radiology programs that I could start shadowing (and make connections with now) and hopefully rotate there later?

I have heard that it might be easier to get into a radiology position if I apply broadly and as a DO route instead of the MD route. Does this have any validity in it? Would I be able to get into a residency program lets say in Oaklahoma (rather than NYC) with above average comlex scores?

Also, are there any tips on how I can start studying for the COMLEX exam now, rather than put it off till later? Which books are of importance for the COMLEX 1 exam that I could purchase now and slowly start preparing?

Please let me know. As a first year medical student, I have a lot of questions that I need to know to make sure I'm on the right track .

Improving your chances in radiology now involves being an above average student, joining radiology club (if available), and not much else.
Later on in the year you will want to become familiar with your core rotation sites and see if they have good radiology residency programs, and also non core sites that you can do some radiology electives.

In regards to studying for comlex; our first two years are essentially prep for comlex, so if you are doing well in your classes you will probably do okay on comlex. If you want to buy the usmle book it is useful to use as a study supplement tons of classes.

If I were you, though, I would be more concerned with getting through your first year as well as you can, your second year is when you will need to start worrying about it.

A note on early comlex studying; last year 6 second years got held back because they neglected their classes to study for comlex....just saying

 

[JaggerPlate]

Prep for 15% cuts in image reading reimbursements rates ... OUCH

 

[avatarftw]

Well, 15% cut of a lot of money (relatively) is still, a lot of money. 🙂

Prep for 15% cuts in image reading reimbursements rates ... OUCH

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Prep for 15% cuts in image reading reimbursements rates ... OUCH

Well, 15% cut of a lot of money (relatively) is still, a lot of money. 🙂

A 15% cut in reimbursements translates closer to around 30-40% cut in take-home income. You need to take into account the fact that overhead stays constant even with reimbursement cuts.

 

[thepoopologist]

You obviously need to put forth your best effort but that aside, for 1st year: Learn gross anatomy very well. Radiologists are essentially gross anatomists and so you have to own that subject. Have a working knowledge of physiology. Don't fail other courses.

Make your face known to Radiology faculty, if they're around.

Take it one step at a time.

That's it.

Bump this thread up again next year.

 

[JaggerPlate]

A 15% cut in reimbursements translates closer to around 30-40% cut in take-home income. You need to take into account the fact that overhead stays constant even with reimbursement cuts.

yup, yup!

I personally think the idea of 'ROAD' is changing. To what, I don't know? Maybe nothing!!!

 

[avatarftw]

Yeah, I forgot about that. Thanks for the correction. Is the 15% cut in the health care bill?

A 15% cut in reimbursements translates closer to around 30-40% cut in take-home income. You need to take into account the fact that overhead stays constant even with reimbursement cuts.

 

[JaggerPlate]

So true. People will start talking about taking the fastest road away from medicine.

Nah, pretty soon your choices will be: a. manage the noctors, b. compete with the noctors, c. run away ...

I really do think the coveted specialties will change soon though. From what I can tell, derm is the only one that's still golden and even that is starting to catch a TINY bit of heat from the DNP derma-lie residency programs.

It seems like rads just took a killer hit (people caught onto how sweet of a gig it was), Ophthalmology salaries don't seem to be what they used to (could be wrong, but that seems to be the consensus in the Ophthal threads), and gas seems to be really entrenched in the CRNA issue.

If Path was a better job market, I think you'd see things like Path, Occupational med, Psyche, POSSIBLY OB/Gyn (I think there will be a big shortage coming up), GI, Uro, and Rheum becoming more popular in the future.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Thanks for the correction. Is the 15% cut in the health care bill?

Who knows, no one has read the damn thing. Jk ... (seriously though) I think these were medicare cuts that were unrelated to the bill.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Nah, pretty soon your choices will be: a. manage the noctors, b. compete with the noctors, c. run away ...

You know, we've had our differences in the past, but your attitude toward this bull**** noctor takeover puts you in my list of awesome users around here.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

Here is a propose salary decrease/increase by specialty. Radiology and Cards are the two that's hit the most, but there are others that are suffering as well.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

A 15% cut in reimbursements translates closer to around 30-40% cut in take-home income. You need to take into account the fact that overhead stays constant even with reimbursement cuts.

Doesn't this only apply to doctors who own or are partners in a practice, but not for doctors who are employees?

 

[avatarftw]

A very important point to consider is that you can't just choose a specialty based on future (and current) reimbursement; you don't know when or if it will be well-paying or poor-paying.

You have to be happy with what you do. In the 1980's, radiologists were not making much money at all but now they are relatively well paid. Well, this is what radiologists have told me; I don't have the data in front of me.

Here is a propose salary decrease/increase by specialty. Radiology and Cards are the two that's hit the most, but there are others that are suffering as well.

 

[JaggerPlate]

You know, we've had our differences in the past, but your attitude toward this bull**** noctor takeover puts you in my list of awesome users around here.

Hahahah, sweet. I can't even tell you the number of 'SDN friends' I've bumped heads with before and now are really cool with, etc. Good to know we're on the same team!

 

[PunkmedGirl]

A very important point to consider is that you can't just choose a specialty based on future (and current) reimbursement; you don't know when or if it will be well-paying or poor-paying.

You have to be happy with what you do. In the 1980's, radiologists were not making much money at all but now they are relatively well paid. Well, this is what radiologists have told me; I don't have the data in front of me.

But the reality is medical students do pick specialities solely based on salaries.

 

[Rollo]

But the reality is medical students do pick specialities solely based on salaries.

Not completely accurate.

 

[avatarftw]

Really? The publications I've read from the AAMC have shown that high paying specialty choice is unrelated to student debt. I'm sure in individual cases that people may choose better-paying specialties because of their financial situation, but it seems more likely that they use it as a kind of tie-breaker.

"If you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." (within reason, of course)

But the reality is medical students do pick specialities solely based on salaries.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Nah, pretty soon your choices will be: a. manage the noctors, b. compete with the noctors, c. run away ...

I really do think the coveted specialties will change soon though. From what I can tell, derm is the only one that's still golden and even that is starting to catch a TINY bit of heat from the DNP derma-lie residency programs.

It seems like rads just took a killer hit (people caught onto how sweet of a gig it was), Ophthalmology salaries don't seem to be what they used to (could be wrong, but that seems to be the consensus in the Ophthal threads), and gas seems to be really entrenched in the CRNA issue.

If Path was a better job market, I think you'd see things like Path, Occupational med, Psyche, POSSIBLY OB/Gyn (I think there will be a big shortage coming up), GI, Uro, and Rheum becoming more popular in the future.

Interesting that you mention psych here. A family med doc explained to me that the reason why psych compensation is so terrible is twofold: 1) the patients who most need to see a psychiatrist are generally either frankly psychotic or badly bipolar and as such aren't likely to have insurance or even jobs (which precludes them paying cash), and 2) HMOs tend to take a dim view of treatment modalities like talk therapy and CBT (and even when they don't they'd rather that psychologists handled those options because they're cheaper). This leaves psychiatrists in the unenviable position of having to either work for peanuts in mental institutions where all the patients are Medicare/Medicaid or chase a fairly small outpatient population of people with severe depression, ADHD, bipolar II, etc. Some shrinks in the latter category manage to find a decent niche for themselves in treating ADHD or having people pay cash for Freudian psychoanalysis, etc but it seems to be hard to be successful doing so.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

Not completely accurate.

But its not false.

Really? The publications I've read from the AAMC have shown that high paying specialty choice is unrelated to student debt. I'm sure in individual cases that people may choose better-paying specialties because of their financial situation, but it seems more likely that they use it as a kind of tie-breaker.

"If you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." (within reason, of course)

I didn't say all students who go for higher paid specialities do so because of debt or because of the money, but I did state that in reality there are students who do choose a speciality based off of how rich it will make them.

 

[Rollo]

But its not false.

I didn't say all students who go for higher paid specialities do so because of debt or because of the money, but I did state that in reality there are students who do choose a speciality based off of how rich it will make them.

You made it sound like you thought all medical students picked specialties because of money.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

You made it sound like you thought all medical students picked specialties because of money.

My bad.

 

[st2205]

Interesting that you mention psych here. A family med doc explained to me that the reason why psych compensation is so terrible is twofold: 1) the patients who most need to see a psychiatrist are generally either frankly psychotic or badly bipolar and as such aren't likely to have insurance or even jobs (which precludes them paying cash), and 2) HMOs tend to take a dim view of treatment modalities like talk therapy and CBT (and even when they don't they'd rather that psychologists handled those options because they're cheaper). This leaves psychiatrists in the unenviable position of having to either work for peanuts in mental institutions where all the patients are Medicare/Medicaid or chase a fairly small outpatient population of people with severe depression, ADHD, bipolar II, etc. Some shrinks in the latter category manage to find a decent niche for themselves in treating ADHD or having people pay cash for Freudian psychoanalysis, etc but it seems to be hard to be successful doing so.

The idea that compensation in psych is lousy is a somewhat mistaken notion. Most survey data shows psych hovering around 180k, while being one of the less demanding specialties regarding work hours. Contrast this to an OB/Gyn that may be making a bit more, but is certainly putting in more hours and spending much more time on call. Many of the patients may be less likely to have insurance, but mental illness is extremely expensive to society. I think with time this will come to be better understood and will solidify the need of psychiatry in the public's eye. This is just my opinion, at least.

 

[thepoopologist]

You're all a bunch of money grubbers! I'm going to donate my entire salary to the Red Cross every year and live in a box in the hospital basement

 

[PunkmedGirl]

You're all a bunch of money grubbers! I'm going to donate my entire salary to the Red Cross every year and live in a box in the hospital basement

No, just donate it to my bank account.😎

 

[dozitgetchahi]

The idea that compensation in psych is lousy is a somewhat mistaken notion. Most survey data shows psych hovering around 180k, while being one of the less demanding specialties regarding work hours. Contrast this to an OB/Gyn that may be making a bit more, but is certainly putting in more hours and spending much more time on call. Many of the patients may be less likely to have insurance, but mental illness is extremely expensive to society. I think with time this will come to be better understood and will solidify the need of psychiatry in the public's eye. This is just my opinion, at least.

Really? The last set of income data I saw showed psych coming in dead last with an average income of something like $95k.

Don't get me wrong - I think psychiatrists provide an important service, and I'm a bit interested in doing psych myself. But just about every source I've encountered says the compensation isn't great, and psych residencies are some of the longest to boot.

 

[avatarftw]

95 thousand? That's close to psychologist level; psychiatrist salary surveys have been around 170-190 from what I've seen.

Really? The last set of income data I saw showed psych coming in dead last with an average income of something like $95k.

Don't get me wrong - I think psychiatrists provide an important service, and I'm a bit interested in doing psych myself. But just about every source I've encountered says the compensation isn't great, and psych residencies are some of the longest to boot.

 

[st2205]

Really? The last set of income data I saw showed psych coming in dead last with an average income of something like $95k.

I'd recheck that. The only way you make 95k is if you're part time or a mid-level.

and psych residencies are some of the longest to boot.

They're all 4 years.

 

[JaggerPlate]

http://www.studentdoc.com/psychiatry-salary.html

http://mdsalaries.blogspot.com/2005/10/psychiatrist-salaries.html

http://www.alliedphysicians.com/salary-surveys/physicians/

Probably not the greatest sources, but all around 170k averages with heights reaching into the 200ks. Also, 4 years is pretty average for residency length.

 

[kopitar]

http://www.studentdoc.com/psychiatry-salary.html

http://mdsalaries.blogspot.com/2005/10/psychiatrist-salaries.html

http://www.alliedphysicians.com/salary-surveys/physicians/

Probably not the greatest sources, but all around 170k averages with heights reaching into the 200ks. Also, 4 years is pretty average for residency length.

jagger I must say you are a destroyer threads haha, the poor guy was just curious about radiology preparations, now I think his head exploded or changed career paths, very sad : (- btw party tonight- be there

 

[dozitgetchahi]

http://www.studentdoc.com/psychiatry-salary.html

http://mdsalaries.blogspot.com/2005/10/psychiatrist-salaries.html

http://www.alliedphysicians.com/salary-surveys/physicians/

Probably not the greatest sources, but all around 170k averages with heights reaching into the 200ks. Also, 4 years is pretty average for residency length.

Hmmm...so I stand corrected. I'd remembered reading the info I cited in some "how to get into medical school" book a while back, so clearly that author was out to lunch.

 

[TheQuietOne]

I don't know where you go to school, but I can tell you this~~~ many DO Rad residency programs take from within!!

If you can transfer to a school that's somehow linked to a Rad residency (eg: MSU, NYCOM, or CCOM), you have a better chance of getting an interview. However, I believe that all interviewees have equal (oh excuse me, "similar" is a better word here) opportunities of being ranked.

One program told me that they don't interview people with comlex step I less than 600. One program coordinator told me their interviewees' scores range from high 400s to low 700s. One program director interviews everyone who asks for an interview. Therefore, there are really no rules here!

I rotated at the Tulsa program. I have to say it's a very strong program. Out of all Rad programs I've rotated at, Tulsa residents are the most knowledgeable ones in my opinion.

If you really want Radiology, do the following 3 things:
1) Do well on boards. COMLEX > 600; USMLE > 240.
2) Transfer to a school that's associated with a Rad program.
3) Rotate at different Rad programs, starting from your 3rd year if you could.

FYI - More and more people apply for Rad each year, but I don't know how many applicants realize that it's not as easy to get a job as radiologists in the past 1 or 2 years. I got this information from a program director, a senior attending, and a senior resident at different programs.
Go into Rad because you love it, but don't go into Rad for the $$$.