I think people get way too caught up in the idea of "competitiveness" or "prestige" of a given specialty. I mean, if it's a field you are generally interested in, would you really change your entire career path because it may not have cache it did a few years back? For me, radiology was the specialty in which I felt I could contribute the most to patient care. Also, the stereotype of the rad sitting in the dark room never talking to another person is patently false. I probably interact with more clinicians from different services on a regular basis than I did as an intern.
The future of rads is uncertain, for sure. But, then so is a lot of medicine. One thing is sure, radiologists will always be needed. It is also one of the most immune fields to midlevel encroachment (the infrequent use of RAs in some states by some groups notwithstanding). The important question is what kind of radiologist do you want to be? That is, do you see yourself contributing to patient care by crafting succinct, accurate reports that clearly address the clinical question? Or do you see rads as an opportunity to avoid patients, rounding, social work and could not care less about the product you churn out? When you demonstrate that you can provide added value to the patient's care, that is how you earn respect as a radiologist in the eyes of your clinical colleagues. I've seen wall-of-text reports that neglect basic grammar, punctuation, and the question being asked. These garbage reports upset me because they do no service to the patient and taint people's perception of radiology/radiologists.
As a second year resident, do I have concerns for the future? Of course. However, whenever you see people posting about how they can't find a job after 2+ fellowships, etc, etc, these are either trolls or people with a sense of entitlement regarding where they will deign to work. If you are flexible in ultimate geographic location, there are jobs to be had. Not everyone can practice in NY, LA, San Fran, etc. I want to go into MSK and am looking all across the country at fellowships because I don't care where I end up as long as I get the training and connections to forge a happy career and life with my family.
That's more than I meant to write.
