MD & DO Will AI and Machine Learning (ML) Doom Your Choice of a Radiology Career Before it Starts?

[VA Hopeful Dr]

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I think the issue is one of data gathering and input. With a patient presenting with a possible infection, who's going to ask the questions to determine the right antibiotics or tests to order (also not forgetting that this patient might not have an infection, I'm not sure in what setting you imagine such an already differentiated patient arrives)? If you've interviewed patients then you know there's a lot of noise to shift through. And who's going to do the physical exam?

With radiology, we're just focusing on the image which is already in the computer anyway.

In fairness, for lots of complaints the physical exam is not really needed.

 

[badasshairday]

I have to agree @johnnydrama .

Earlier on this thread some of the "experts" said AI will decrease need for radiologists and radiology will be extinct in 10 year. First let me LOL. Next. There are more and more mid levels already in many fields including non procedural fields. I would surmise that midlevel plus AI will decrease the need for physicians in those fields well before radiology. Plus we see it already in some fields were they run with less MD's augmented by midlevels.

@MD-2022

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I have to agree @johnnydrama .

Earlier on this thread some of the "experts" said AI will decrease need for radiologists and radiology will be extinct in 10 year. First let me LOL. Next. There are more and more mid levels already in many fields including non procedural fields. I would surmise that midlevel plus AI will decrease the need for physicians in those fields well before radiology. Plus we see it already in some fields were they run with less MD's augmented by midlevels.

@MD-2022

Its always interesting that whenever this tedious debate comes up, its always someone else's field not mine (generic mine) that is likely to be the first to be affected.

 

[badasshairday]

Well it tends to be people predicting the end of radiology most often. I'm just trying to say it is foolish to think that it is the end of radiology. Honestly as a practicing radiologist I look forward to some AI help. We don't have mid level help at all.

 

[libertyyne]

Well it tends to be people predicting the end of radiology most often. I'm just trying to say it is foolish to think that it is the end of radiology. Honestly as a practicing radiologist I look forward to some AI help. We don't have mid level help at all.

its not the end of radiology. It is that there will be less demand for radiologists augmented by AI , unless there is a massive explosion in imaging where 1000X more images need to be read. Radiology and derm seem to be the ones with the most interest, and frankly that is an outcrop of the the fact that image recognition technology can be re-purposed and augmented to perform these tasks. In a world where rads is already computerized this makes it even more appealing.

So no, radiology wont be extinct. But the job market is going to get tight. When you only need 1/10 or 1/100th of the man power for overseeing AI, you will see a corresponding decrease in need for radiologists.

 

[badasshairday]

Sure. I wouldn't let this deter your from radiology however. Ie. Like those stories of people steering away from anesthesiology due to CRNA in the 90s and early 2000s.

 

[libertyyne]

Sure. I wouldn't let this deter your from radiology however. Ie. Like those stories of people steering away from anesthesiology due to CRNA in the 90s and early 2000s.

i honestly dont disagree with you, Who knows what the future will hold? But being a risk averse person its difficult for me to go down the rads path even though I think I would enjoy the work. that coupled with reports of fellowship being necessary and job market being tight. coupled with the six years of training and removal / reduction of alt pathways to IR.

 

[deleted87051]

unless there is a massive explosion in imaging where 1000X more images need to be read.

Seems like this has happened in the past. Could happen again.

 

[badasshairday]

i honestly dont disagree with you, Who knows what the future will hold? But being a risk averse person its difficult for me to go down the rads path even though I think I would enjoy the work. that coupled with reports of fellowship being necessary and job market being tight. coupled with the six years of training and removal / reduction of alt pathways to IR.

Fair enough.

Except the second part. Med student knowledge on job market in rads seems to lag quite a bit. The job market is very healthy now with a lot of options including in large metros.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Fair enough.

Except the second part. Med student knowledge on job market in rads seems to lag quite a bit. The job market is very healthy now with a lot of options including in large metros.

It’s like that now. What’ll it be like by the time he finishes residency?

 

[deleted87051]

It’s like that now. What’ll it be like by the time he finishes residency?

Nobody knows. But if it’s bad when he finishes, it’ll be great 5 years later. That pattern has been repeating itself for decades.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Nobody knows. But if it’s bad when he finishes, it’ll be great 5 years later. That pattern has been repeating itself for decades.

I guess if he can't get a job when he finishes, he can work at McD's for a few years until something opens up.

 

[deleted87051]

I guess if he can't get a job when he finishes, he can work at McD's for a few years until something opens up.

Or he can get rich working as a mid level for 36hrs a week. It’s so easy, he’ll just need a few online classes.

 

[deleted87051]

A.I. Versus M.D.

 

[RadsGuy]

Hospital or imaging center who owns the machine and software I would imagine.

Overlooked lung cancer results in $16.7 million verdict against radiologist - The Boston Globe

Definitely not an imaging center. They don't make enough money.

And I doubt a hospital would unless the government caps malpractice on AI. Good luck since lawyers run DC.

But, I could be wrong.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Overlooked lung cancer results in $16.7 million verdict against radiologist - The Boston Globe

Definitely not an imaging center. They don't make enough money.

And I doubt a hospital would unless the government caps malpractice on AI. Good luck since lawyers run DC.

But, I could be wrong.

Hospitals and imaging centers have deeper pockets that physician. They will pay for AI mistakes

 

[Poit]

Nobody can predict what will happen when the "event horizon" of AI hits - when we invent the first general intelligence AI that can upgrade itself with a positive feedback mechanism to produce a superintelligence we can't even conceive of. Radiologists out of work may be the least of our concerns.