Radiology and infertility?

[mybluedog]

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Hello, MS1 here learning more about radiology.

I've met a few radiologists who weirdly all seem to not be able to have their own kids. (I'm sure just a coincidence)

I can't help but think if working in close quarters with radiation has any play in this?

Any one worry about this while pursuing radiology?

 

[Rad2013]

Nothing to do with radiation. More likely, they have waited til it makes sense to have kids from a financial/life stability standpoint, which occurs at the end or after prime child-bearing years. If you seem to only be seeing radiologists with the infertility issue but not other physicians of the same age.. then it's coincidence.

 

[atomi]

Hello, MS1 here learning more about radiology.

I've met a few radiologists who weirdly all seem to not be able to have their own kids. (I'm sure just a coincidence)

I can't help but think if working in close quarters with radiation has any play in this?

Any one worry about this while pursuing radiology?

We are biologically supposed to have children from age 15-25. When you try to do it at age 35-45, you’re fighting nature.

Are these infertile radiologists male or female?
It’s well understood what doses of radiation to the testes result in infertility and radiologists receive nowhere near that.

 

[mybluedog]

We are biologically supposed to have children from age 15-25. When you try to do it at age 35-45, you’re fighting nature.

Are these infertile radiologists male or female?
It’s well understood what doses of radiation to the testes result in infertility and radiologists receive nowhere near that.

I haven't met a female radiologist actually. The age thing makes sense, but seems like it would apply to other specialties as well..

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I haven't met a female radiologist actually. The age thing makes sense, but seems like it would apply to other specialties as well..

It does. I'm FM and at a conference this summer I was at a table with 4 other doctors all under 40. Of the 5 of us, 4 had done IVF.

 

[TCOM12]

Like all things in medicine, there is no guarantee that it's not radiation, but it's highly unlikely. There are non-radiology jobs that will get you radiation exposure. As stated above, it's likely the age that one tries to have children. My residency was about 30% women trainees when I was there. Many had a child during residency, and one had 2. All the female attendings had at least 2 children. One of the male IR attendings had 4 children. I did not inquire about IVF. Congratulations seems to be the appropriate response to "I'm pregnant."

And yes, radiology is a male dominated field, even though medical school graduates are pretty much 50/50 male/female. There are a few studies as to why, since the majority of radiologists feel there is no discrimination (no need to bully around a surgical staff to get respect or prove you're not a nurse in the reading room). Most of the women in the program felt like it was an advantage during the interview process (no data, just a feeling of enthusiasm from interviewers in not seeing another dude in a blue suit with a solid color tie).

It's good to be thinking ahead about how career longevity can be influenced by the various hazards of a medical specialty.