Before PACS ,radiology sounded like a miserable field. Nothing but fluoro, reading x rays off a backlit viewbox, doing IVP and craptastic mammos. CTs and MRIs were read on x ray sheets split into tiny 16x16 images. Everything changed with PACS and improved CT/MR technology 15 years ago. Radiology immediately became competitive, one of the most competitive in medicine.
Then, 2008 financial crisis hit, which perfectly coincided with feeling the pain of the 2005 deficit reduction act, which decimated radiologist reimbursement per study (20-75% cuts per study). Unfortunately, those radiologists were used to a certain lifestyle. So rather than accept the pay cut, they decided to work harder rather than hire more. 2009-2014 were pitiful for radiology job market, which cooled off the competitiveness of the field. The market rebounded now because imaging has continued to explode and those that delayed retirement during the financial crisis have now retired. But now, we are entering the era of automation and AI, and radiology looks like an easy target on paper, and most AI companies are focused on radiology. I think this is making the field a nonstarter for some people, even though most who have actual experience in radiology would tell you these worries are quite unrealistic in our lifetimes. But every field has their own doomsday scenario; they are just an unlikely in their fields.
Another main reason. Some people wouldn't be happy sitting in front of a computer all day and not interacting with patients. I get it; I don't fault them. Look at the poster last night, implying that he felt uncomfortable calling himself a doctor now that he's a radiologist. Dictating words on a computer while scrolling a mouse wheel is not what most people envisioned when they said they wanted to save lives when they were wide eyed college students. This field is not for people with egos.
