MSK day in the life?

[cybermed2424]

I had a few questions about MSK radiology. Do you guys have clinic days prior to your procedure days? How much of your week is spent doing procedures? What are the most common procedures you may do in a week? Appreciate any other thoughts you guys might have on the field.

Thanks!

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[maxxor]

Like all things, these are locally defined and determined by the local practice patterns.

I’ve worked in 2 practice settings:
Highly sub specialized academics
“Specialized” tertiary private practice

in academics, the weekly breakdown was
1 academic day
1 day fluoro/US pain type injections
0.5 day CT/US biopsies
2.5 reading

only 2 attendings did procedures which needed a clinic (vertebroplasties and pain RFA). They would just schedule clinic during a diagnostic or academic day and piggyback off the IR clinic space.

specialized practice
4 day work week
About 33-50% MSK volume, rest general or second subspecialty (I have another specialty)
Pretty much no procedures (general IR takes most of these). Only occasional arthogram or steroid injection.

 

[odyssey2]

Like all things, these are locally defined and determined by the local practice patterns.

I’ve worked in 2 practice settings:
Highly sub specialized academics
“Specialized” tertiary private practice

in academics, the weekly breakdown was
1 academic day
1 day fluoro/US pain type injections
0.5 day CT/US biopsies
2.5 reading

only 2 attendings did procedures which needed a clinic (vertebroplasties and pain RFA). They would just schedule clinic during a diagnostic or academic day and piggyback off the IR clinic space.

specialized practice
4 day work week
About 33-50% MSK volume, rest general or second subspecialty (I have another specialty)
Pretty much no procedures (general IR takes most of these). Only occasional arthogram or steroid injection.

That sounds nice. Is it nice?

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

That sounds nice. Is it nice?

 

[Cognovi]

Common MSK procedures include
steroid injection in joints, bursae, or epidural space
bone or bone marrow biopsy
arthrogram
joint-related cyst aspiration
extremity soft tissue biopsy

less common procedures include
ablation of bone tumor (or a new thing, basivertebral nerve)
vertebral augmentation
rupture of facet joint synovial cyst
calcific tendinitis barbotage

These are done under US, fluoro, or CT guidance.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Common MSK procedures include
steroid injection in joints, bursae, or epidural space
bone or bone marrow biopsy
arthrogram
joint-related cyst aspiration
extremity soft tissue biopsy

less common procedures include
ablation of bone tumor (or a new thing, basivertebral nerve)
vertebral augmentation
rupture of facet joint synovial cyst
calcific tendinitis barbotage

These are done under US, fluoro, or CT guidance.

I'm an M1 starting to get interested in radiology, are these procedures done mostly by IR?

 

[Cognovi]

I'm an M1 starting to get interested in radiology, are these procedures done mostly by IR?

answer:

Like all things, these are locally defined and determined by the local practice patterns.

 

[GoPelicans]

Surprised to hear IR did the MSK trained procedures. Seems like most private practices are moving to the model of IR just doing all the procedures. Wonder if IR gets to do any reading in these practice settings. I am prob gonna do IR but I worry about burning out as a full time proceduralist.

 

[Clean7795]

My experience is that MSK procedures mostly stay within the MSK space (shared with pain specialists, PMR, anesthesia, ortho, general radiology, etc.).

I do not see IRs frequently doing them for two reasons. First is that IR is usually busy enough. Second is that unlike other radiology subspecialties, MSK rads often enjoy their procedures and do not eagerly hand them off to IR like body radiologists.

 

[Tiger100]

My experience is that MSK procedures mostly stay within the MSK space (shared with pain specialists, PMR, anesthesia, ortho, general radiology, etc.).

I do not see IRs frequently doing them for two reasons. First is that IR is usually busy enough. Second is that unlike other radiology subspecialties, MSK rads often enjoy their procedures and do not eagerly hand them off to IR like body radiologists.

In private practice the exact opposite of what you say happens. Your experience likely comes from academic setting.

In most practices, IR does all the needle work. Or even if not IR, there is a prceduralist guy who does all the procedures. It is good for the work flow and makes it more efficent.

Most MSKs that I know don't want to do any procedures. They are happy reading MRs.