radiologist = good at anatomy?

[doctalaughs]

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I always thought of rads as a top field to consider because I like the cool technology, don't mind sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time, and enjoy being a "consulted" by other professionals (was a consultant before medical school).

However, surprisingly I found that I didn't enjoy anatomy very much as an MS1. I found that I didn't enjoy the rote memorization very much. Also, when given x-rays and ct's I wasn't great at vizualizing 3d relationships on the 2d scans. Average, but not great.

Given these qualities, should I still consider rads? Would I enjoy the field given my likes and dislikes? Does everyone in rads love anatomy and have a innate strength in 3d interpretation?

 

[footcramp]

Does everyone in rads love anatomy and have a innate strength in 3d interpretation?

no

 

[peehdee]

I think like very field in medicine, you learn the skills you need when you're in residency. While it would be excellent to be really good in anatomy, you'll spend so many years looking at the same parts of the body that you're studying you'll become 'good' at it, unless you're a stupid person (but you passed the med school app process. so).

So bottom line you'll learn it as you go. You just need to realize that you might have to work extra hard at times. In the end most people know what they need to know, be it rad or cardiology.

I always thought of rads as a top field to consider because I like the cool technology, don't mind sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time, and enjoy being a "consulted" by other professionals (was a consultant before medical school).

However, surprisingly I found that I didn't enjoy anatomy very much as an MS1. I found that I didn't enjoy the rote memorization very much. Also, when given x-rays and ct's I wasn't great at vizualizing 3d relationships on the 2d scans. Average, but not great.

Given these qualities, should I still consider rads? Would I enjoy the field given my likes and dislikes? Does everyone in rads love anatomy and have a innate strength in 3d interpretation?

 

[trouta]

Rads is heavy on anatomy (you have to know all of the normal structures to know what is abnormal) and heavy on memorization (differentials for various findings). So there will be lots of memorization and book studying until you see things so many times that they become second nature.

Do an elective in rads, it will give you a sense of the type of information you need to know.