Why is Radiology so male?

[wannaberad]

Y'know, I was wondering...why are there so few women in Radiology? It has to be one of the most male fields. Lifestyle's pretty good, so it's family-friendly... There's no patient contact, but Pathology doesn't either, and that's 50-50... Anybody care to hazard a guess?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Docxter]

Two misconceptions in your post:

1. The average radiologist works more than many other specialists, including IM, ENT, Peds, EM, etc. In fact, radiologists average as many hours as orthopods.
See: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1136279#post1136279

However, the positive aspect of radiology is that you can join a group as part-time easier than many other fields. Of course, you'll never make partner if you do.

2. There actually is patient contact, albeit less than most fields, even in non-interventional radiology. Often in GI, GU, Mammo, ultrasound, and any image guided biopsy (which are usually done by non-IR diagnostic radiuologists). Obviously, IR and NIR have a lot of patient contact.

As far as the number of males vs. females, in my program it is 40% female and 60% male. Approximately the same ratio applies to our residency candidates too. I don't know why, but the reasons that more females don't want to do radiology (assuming this is in fact true), maybe that it's a very technology-heavy field or perceived dangers of radiation.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

I've often wondered the same thing. Right not we only have 2 out of 25 residents that are female. This will increase to 4 out of 25 on July 1st, but still a very low proportion. I really have no explanation.

 

[doc05]

why so male?
1. chicks like people, so they are less likely to go into a tech-heavy field with less patient interaction.
2. men are better at 3-d spatial relations and similar things.

 

[Santiago]

Y'know, I was wondering...why are there so few women in Radiology? It has to be one of the most male fields. Lifestyle's pretty good, so it's family-friendly... There's no patient contact, but Pathology doesn't either, and that's 50-50... Anybody care to hazard a guess?

We had the similar query in our place and asked a female resident about this.She said that the radiation issue is a big one for females.

 

[hans19]

I think there is concern about the teratogenic effects of radiation exposure.

This is anecdotal, but on interviews last year, I didn't notice too many female candidates on the interview trail.
It may be a self-selection type of a thing.
My R1 class is exactly 50-50 though.

Go figure.

 

[lindyloohoo]

are programs trying to attract females? not like in an affirmative action type of way with quotas, but are they trying to make them more balanced and just not achieving it? or is it we take whoever is the best that applies, if they happen to be female ok?

 

[Retinamark]

There are heaps of females in radiology in Australia. Ophthalmology now is > 50 % female. Still hardly any ortho, neurosurg etc though.

 

[hans19]

I think it is merely a reflection of the applicant pool. When I applied for the 2003 match year, I didn't see a lot of female applicants. It seemed like 3:1 men to women.

Radiology is becoming a more demanding specialty with the demands of increased volume of studies to be read. But I still think it offers a great deal of flexibility in your schedule. Thats definitely a good thing regardless of your gender.

If you want to apply, by all means, go ahead! I don't think your gender will hurt or help you.

Best of luck!
-Hans.

 

[Radiologist]

All I know is that I am a woman adn I plan on becoming a Radiologist

 

[Lorraine]

how much radiation are you exposed to anyway? and couldn't you decide just to read films after residency, theoretically then you would only have to worry about radiation then during your residency, which i was under the impression is minimal. i am female and planning on going into rads, and although i am not planning on starting a family until i finish residency, i would be very concerned if i were pregnant during rad residency,

 

[CSI Miami]

They're not as good with computers & technology There isn't much touchy feely stuff in radiology. They don't have anyone to talk about feelings with.

 

[drbrowneyes]

Well, I think many women may become concerned about the affects of radiation. Especially those who intend to bear children. Exposure to radiation can/will kill some of your developing eggs. Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm though out their life, women are born with the number of eggs we will have. So if you kill a few you are just that much closer to menopause. Also, from what I have heard the hours of a Radiologist can be ridiculous sometimes. Many women like to spend quality time with their families ( especially their children) soooo, that also makes radiology unattractive. Now this is just MY opinion

 

[Docxter]

Exposure to radiation can/will kill some of your developing eggs. Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm though out their life, women are born with the number of eggs we will have. So if you kill a few you are just that much closer to menopause. Now this is just MY opinion

While this may sound intuitive, do you have any references that actually prove your speculation that diagnostic radiation doses in a relatively shielded person would cause decrease ova? I understand that some people may be concerned about gonadal radiation damage among radiologists, but is this in fact true, or is it just a fallacy?

 

[Santiago]

Well, I think many women may become concerned about the affects of radiation. Especially those who intend to bear children. Exposure to radiation can/will kill some of your developing eggs. Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm though out their life, women are born with the number of eggs we will have. So if you kill a few you are just that much closer to menopause.

Am yet to come across a definitive piece of literature on that.But am amazed at the widespread belief in such an important issue.Taking all precautions,I am not very sure about the extra risk to the gonads in females.Will try to look up more on this.

 

[Docxter]

Am yet to come across a definitive piece of literature on that.But am amazed at the widespread belief in such an important issue.Taking all precautions,I am not very sure about the extra risk to the gonads in females.Will try to look up more on this.

Actually, it was a rhetorical question. Sorry. I know the answer. There is no proof or sound evidence for gonadal damage in radiologists in the literature.

 

[drbrowneyes]

Maybe I should clarify what I am saying in regard to radiation and the female and male reproductive systems. Over-exposure can have the results I mentioned earlier. I mean we are exposed to low doses of radiation everyday. The radiation badges are to help monitor how much radiation one is exposed to. if you need studies on the issue check out medical physics literature and you will find discussion covering the effects of radiation on various body systems or radiation biology would be a good subject too.

In response to males, gonadal effects of radiation are only temprorary

 

[Idiopathic]

I just thought that it was due to the whole field being about 'shooting' things...phallus-like.

 

[LADoc00]

Y'know, I was wondering...why are there so few women in Radiology? It has to be one of the most male fields. Lifestyle's pretty good, so it's family-friendly... There's no patient contact, but Pathology doesn't either, and that's 50-50... Anybody care to hazard a guess?

I know, because it pays BIG BUCKS. Men are motivated by different things in medicine than women and honestly a male dominated medical profession kept salaries high and malpractice low for decades by being aggressive somewhat arrogant a-holes at times. Fast forward today and medicine is being eroded to degree I couldnt even have imagined back in the 90s. The reason is when people (lawyers, HMOs, payers etc) push, female docs want to be non-confrontational and give in. The result is we ALL get screwed.

To be honest, Rads is a scam like NO OTHER, as a Pathologist, I on one hand have admiration for people that can bilk the system out of so much money and on the other hand hope they reap the whirlwind of their greed one day.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

what an endearingly sexist post.......and OF course radiologists are more greedy than every other doctor out there...............

hmm i wonder what brilliant things we could come up with about pathologists?

 

[LADoc00]

hmm i wonder what brilliant things we could come up with about pathologists?

Likely most couldnt come up with anything about pathology b/c they have no idea what we do. I was not being sexist BTW, these are observations Ive made over the years. In fact I see it everyday, the person sitting in the next office is constantly bullied b/c she's a woman (and she's been a physician for 30 years longer than me!), what can I do, it sucks.

Are radiologists greedy? Yes and No. When a starting salaries in RURAL areas are over $300 grand (thats just diagnostics, not interventional) where the median income is $20,000, I think they are pushing the boundaries of being ambitious to outright thuggery. The whole body CT scam (not scan, scam) will come back to bite all those idiots in the butt one day considering the massive increased rate of sarcomas from the rad exposure. The funny thing is that it is supposed to be their JOB to know the effects of massive radiation on cellular processes yet did anyway, that malicious in my book, end of story. I cant wait to sit back and let the malpractice attorneys come to me for path confirmation of rad-induced sarcomas from whole body CT clinics..."Yes, I charge $1,000/hr for depositions and that includes a re-review of the original case. Court on Tuesday? Sure."

 

[Hudson]

Likely most couldnt come up with anything about pathology b/c they have no idea what we do. I was not being sexist BTW, these are observations Ive made over the years. In fact I see it everyday, the person sitting in the next office is constantly bullied b/c she's a woman (and she's been a physician for 30 years longer than me!), what can I do, it sucks.

Are radiologists greedy? Yes and No. When a starting salaries in RURAL areas are over $300 grand (thats just diagnostics, not interventional) where the median income is $20,000, I think they are pushing the boundaries of being ambitious to outright thuggery. The whole body CT scam (not scan, scam) will come back to bite all those idiots in the butt one day considering the massive increased rate of sarcomas from the rad exposure. The funny thing is that it is supposed to be their JOB to know the effects of massive radiation on cellular processes yet did anyway, that malicious in my book, end of story. I cant wait to sit back and let the malpractice attorneys come to me for path confirmation of rad-induced sarcomas from whole body CT clinics..."Yes, I charge $1,000/hr for depositions and that includes a re-review of the original case. Court on Tuesday? Sure."

You sound pretty bitter... its sad and I do feel sorry for you. I don't know what you are trying accomplish by babbling on about how much you dislike the way radiologists practice medicine. If you don't like it either do something about it or shutup. If you are looking for sympathy either head back to the lab or the pathology forum.

 

[v-tach]

I know, because it pays BIG BUCKS. Men are motivated by different things in medicine than women and honestly a male dominated medical profession kept salaries high and malpractice low for decades by being aggressive somewhat arrogant a-holes at times. Fast forward today and medicine is being eroded to degree I couldnt even have imagined back in the 90s. The reason is when people (lawyers, HMOs, payers etc) push, female docs want to be non-confrontational and give in. The result is we ALL get screwed.

To be honest, Rads is a scam like NO OTHER, as a Pathologist, I on one hand have admiration for people that can bilk the system out of so much money and on the other hand hope they reap the whirlwind of their greed one day.

I do not appreciate your sexist comments. The increase in female doctors is NOT the reason our healthcare system is so screwed up. It is screwed up because of our litigious society.

 

[Max_Berry]

Nice posts LADoc. I always enjoy some bitter devil's advocate ranting, especially when it isn't me for a change. I have often wondered about the full body irradiation at the drop of a hat.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Full body screening CT scans account for a very small proportion of CTs performed and are nearly universally opposed by radiology governing bodies and radiologists in general.

The vast majority of CTs performed are ordered by clinicians, many times with questionable indication.

Its funny that a pathologist who works about 20 hours less per week on average than a radiologist in private practice is comparing salaries. Its also funny that a pathologist is complaining about radiologists being greedy when pathology was well known in the early eighties to be a scam with pathologists billing for physician time on things they had no real connection to. Pathologists salaries were also in the 300-500K range at that time until medicare started cracking down. So get off your high horse.

 

[musicman1991]

The reason there is few women is because few women apply. I heard the ratio of male/female is 80/20% in the applicant pool.

However, I felt that at some programs they make sure the group that matches is 50%/50%.

 

[musicman1991]

just saw the post about CT's and litigation.

Radiologists don't ORDER the CT scan. It's the clinicians. They are the ones that bear the responsibilities with it.