Radiologists use X-ray technology to diagnose patients.
Radiologists are physicians who specialize in the field of radiology. A radiologist must go through years of training to be a medical doctor before learning the techniques and technology used in the field. Radiology is a field of medicine that diagnoses, monitors and treats patients with X-ray technology, radioactive substances and imaging equipment. High school students seeking a career as a radiologist should focus on courses such as biology, chemistry and science subjects.
Undergraduate Education
The education for a radiologist includes four years of undergraduate education. A pre-med undergraduate education consists of courses in physics, chemistry, biology and math. Undergraduate courses for physicians also include courses in the social sciences such as sociology and psychology. The education and transcripts from an undergraduate program determine the candidate's ability to get into a medical school.
Medical School
Acceptance into medical school requires good scores from the Medical College Admission Test, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Students seeking a career as a radiologist must spend two years in medical school in a combination of classroom and laboratory training. Courses in medical school include anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, psychology and ethics courses. Students learn examine and diagnose patients with supervised training in hospitals. Medical school students spend time in a variety of disciplines in the medical field including obstetrics, internal medicine, pediatrics and surgery. The medical training prepares radiology students for specialized training during a residency program.
Residency
An internship or residency program is a type of on-the-job training for physicians entering into a specialized field such as radiology. Residency takes place in a hospital and is a paid form of training, which teaches radiologists use equipment and techniques to diagnose, monitor and treat patients with radioactive substances, X-ray technology and imaging equipment. Radiologists must complete four years of residency in the field of radiology.
Specialized Training
Specialized training provides an education and training in a specialty area of radiology such as pediatric radiology, cardiovascular radiology, radiation oncology, nuclear radiology or gastrointestinal radiology.
Certification and Continuing Education
The American Board of Radiology is one certification a radiologist may obtain to work in the field. Physicians must meet board requirements for education and pass an examination to be board certified in radiology. To maintain certification, radiologists must complete continuing education courses to remain current in the field. Continuing education courses ensures the radiologist is up-to-date on the latest techniques and procedures in the field of radiology.
Tags: medical school, patients with, X-ray technology, career radiologist, diagnose patients, education courses, field radiology