Category: Applicant Advice

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Not Sure What You Want? Private Practice, Hospital Based, Or Academic Residency: Find A Radiology Program With All Three!

not sure

Usually, I’m not particularly eager to toot my own horn. But, with the new merger of our three residency programs, we have established a unique situation that very few programs throughout the country can boast. Residents can now experience what it is like to work as a trainee in private practice, a practice with radiologists directly hired by a hospital, and an academic hospital, all under the roof of one residency program. Why is this situation so helpful for residents who have graduated from a program like this? Well, if you are not sure now, later, it can minimize the chances that, as a new hire, you will pick the wrong career path. And that decision can be challenging. Let me explain why.

Not Sure? Pick Among All The Experiences!

Private Practice Experience 

Welcome to our world. When you attend a residency with a private practice-based mentality, the program becomes very different than a standard residency program. Private practice’s priority is getting through a significant number of cases daily. Every study you read is extra cash in the group’s pocket (and yours too if you are a partner) So, we need to complete all the work as soon as possible. So, the main goal is to maximize efficiency. If you have a residency program associated with a private practice, you will see how this way of thinking affects your faculty. Around ninety percent of radiologists eventually go into some form of private practice. So, you must discover what you are in for when you get out of training! (Most residents have no idea!)

Hospital Based Experience

This experience is the most common for radiology residency programs. The typical structure is that the hospital hires individual radiologists. Perhaps, they have some form of incentives for efficiency, teaching, and participation in hospital committees. But, radiologists don’t get a specific piece of the professional or technical fee action. So, these hospital-based groups are more aligned with the needs of the hospital than the needs of the other partners. Therefore, in most of these sorts of practices, there is only a monetary incentive for getting the work done, no more than what the individual hospital contract asks. If there are no riders for reading other films, most likely, these employees will not read them without additional incentive. This structure causes a different mentality than the typical ownership mentality of private practice. Yet, it does have some alignment with the standard private practice in terms of primary efficiency goals.

Government/Academic Experience

Here is the typical large university center structure. In this structure, your salary is more based on academic achievement than efficiency for reading films. You get your raises and your bonuses based on academic grant production, teaching residents, and giving lectures at conferences throughout the country. Attendings in the situation will align with some private entities they are researching. And they will get some form of a stipend for studying their equipment, drugs, procedures, etc. Academic practices often do not incentivize efficiency as much as the other models. This mentality is not the real world for most radiologists, but those intellectual sorts will live like this. Some love the academic experience; others do not so much!

Not Sure? With A Wealth Of Different Residency Experiences, The World Is Your Oyster

Finding a residency program that encompasses all three experiences, private practice, hospital-based, and academic, allows the resident participant to get a feel for the world post-residency in most potential career paths. If I had such an opportunity, I probably would have stuck to one job post-residency because I would have known the practice scenario I would have wanted. So, if you have the rare opportunity to get a residency spot that allows you to experience all three ways of working, seriously consider it over others. It’s a great way to avoid the wandering situation where you work at multiple practices until you find the right one!

 

 

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A Review Of Med School Insiders Insights Into Radiology

med school insiders

If you are like me, I am an avid youtube fan. Since it is in my wheelhouse, one of the topics I occasionally search for is radiology (in addition to astronomy, Ukraine, and guitar lessons!). And as I was surfing the YouTube world on these topics. I hit upon a series of videos with the hypnotic voice of Dr. Jubbal from Med School Insiders, a business that caters to students who want to enter the field of medicine. Many of these videos claimed to review Radiology as a field, including salaries, types of residents, the culture, and more. But does that mesmerizing voice have it all right? Or, is much of what Dr. Jubbal says about radiology a farce? Here is a review of the world of Dr. Jabal, and Med School Insiders impression of the field of radiology and whether he gets it all right.

Salaries- In The Middle Of The Pack?

The videos emphasizing radiology talk about salaries and consistently talk about radiology as somewhere in the middle of the pack. That phrase can be very misleading. As someone within the field, knowing where we stand in the salary ranking, I know that salary is highly dependent on where you work, whether you are in private practice or academics, and a slew of other factors. Based on my own experiences with these factors, radiology has been more consistently toward the top of the salary distribution on average than most other specialties. But, of course, it is possible to find a lower-paying radiology job.

Med School Insiders Talk About Artificial Intelligence

This factor is where Dr. Jubbal gets it wrong. He uses artificial intelligence as a risk for new students entering radiology. Artificial intelligence has consistently been underwhelming for most radiologists out there as a way to replace radiologists. The best CAD detectors for mammo and lung nodules have consistently underperformed expectations. The biggest problem with artificial intelligence is that there are always new data sets that the researchers have not inputted into their algorithms. And, any independent reads by a computer will not be able to take these myriad factors into account for a very long time. I don’t see any chance of it taking over a radiologist’s job for more than fifty years from now.

Even if artificial intelligence becomes more successful, radiologist numbers  are still way too low relative to the amount of work out there. Artificial intelligence may even boost efficiency to get more done in less time, enabling radiologists to do more with less and increase earnings. (That would be a good thing) Artificial intelligence, therefore, is not much of a risk at all to the profession. Sorry, Jabal!

ROAD/Flexibility

Dr. Jabal constantly adds radiology as part of the lifestyle specialties. Sure, we have one of the most flexible specialties regarding work location, shiftwork, and type of work. However, many of us have become insanely busy because we are replacing a lack of physician staffing elsewhere, i.e., emergency medicine, family medicine, etc. For this reason, patients will often get pan-scans without being seen by clinicians first. So, many of us have become very busy trying to keep up with the demand. So, I’m not sure we belong on the ROAD list anymore!

More Introverted Specialty

On this subject, I would have to agree on a bit. Although I know lots of radiologists who are very outgoing and personable, many radiologists would prefer to work alone as well. In other specialties, this introversion does not fly as well when you have to see tens of patients daily—seeing patients could become exhausting for an introvert. Radiology is a way to avoid the constant bombardment of patient contact. (Of course, it does not have to be that way!)

Competitiveness

Here is another area where I would have to agree with Dr. Jabal. Although the trends have become more competitive lately since COVID, we are certainly not as competitive as dermatology or orthopedics. We place somewhere in the middle of the pack, maybe a bit more toward the upper end of the mid-tier lately. Dr. Jabal seems to emphasize a similar level of competitiveness, somewhere toward the middle of the middle, That ranks close enough to the mark.

Doctor Jubbal, Med School Insiders, And Radiology

So, yes, Dr. Jubbal does toot his own horn as he had formerly trained as a plastic surgeon and subtly suggests that plastic surgery is the epitome of being a physician. If you can get past that, he does get some impressions of radiology right, especially the appeal to introverts and the general competitiveness of radiology. On the other hand, he misses the mark a bit for others, such as salaries, artificial intelligence, and the ROAD concept for radiology. But, overall, he does not do so badly. His youtube segments are enjoyable to listen to and can help residency applicants in general. My advice, though, is never to use one source for anything. And try to find mentors in the residency space within your specialty of interest. The best advice will come from physicians within the area of training where you want to apply!

 

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Why Rapid Speech Can Destroy An Interview!

rapid speech

Rapid speech is prevalent when people are in unfamiliar situations. I, myself, tend to talk a bit quickly at times. But an excellent radiology residency interview can turn into something else if you don’t remember to take down the speed of speech a notch or two. We have seen it all too many times. Here are some reasons you should listen to yourself, pace your speaking, and prevent yourself from rapid speech with your interviewer at the speed of light.

Flight Of Ideas Suggests Lack Of Focus

Whether it may or may not be accurate, when you sputter, it implies that you may have difficulty concentrating on one topic at a time. Or, otherwise, this mental state we call a flight of ideas. Residency directors do not want residents that cannot focus on studying, reading films, and performing procedures. All these parts of radiology residency take tons of mental energy and focus. All this ability is cast into doubt when you are speaking rather quickly.

It Might Be Very Difficult To Understand

When you speak quickly and do not enunciate your words well, your speech can become very difficult to understand. Sometimes older folks have an even more challenging time comprehending what you are saying because their hearing is not as good. Regardless, if you are hard to understand because you are speaking so rapidly, imagine what might happen when you have a team of surgeons expecting a verbal wet read. Will you keep on talking incomprehensibly? These thoughts are, first and foremost, among the faculty interviewing you!

Rapid Speech Can Give Your Interviewer An Unsettling Feeling

Have you ever tried to interview a patient with hyperthyroidism? Many times you can’t get a word in edgewise. Why? Because all that thyroid hormone circulating in their system causes elevated metabolism, a rapid heart rate, and pressured speech. Moreover, a conversation usually involves a bit of give and take. In this situation, it is very unsettling to have a conversation with someone that barely lets you respond. The interviewer will most likely be trying to imagine what it would be like to have someone next to them for hours that didn’t ever stop yammering! This trait is not favorable for a radiology resident!

Trying To Hide Something?

In our culture, we perceive those that speak fast to be hiding something. It could be a personality flaw, an issue, or a problem with the application. Regardless, rapid speech could portend deeper issues with the interviewer at hand. We want our candidates to be open book and easy to approach. So, jabbering can destroy the impression that you are trying to make.

Rapid Speech While Interviewing

Talking too quickly is something that you can easily correct, but you will need to think about it and be deliberate. Listen to yourself by taping a mock interview with your colleagues or family on your smartphone or computer. And play it back and see how fast you are talking. If you find yourself hard to understand or with a bit of pressured speech, dial back your speed at the following conversation/interview. And be aware of the pace of your speaking. Although not harmful in and of itself, talking quickly can leave an impression of a lack of focus, incomprehensibility, unsettling feelings, and ideas that you may not be forthcoming. And this is an issue that you can quickly repair. So, fix this issue before you get to your following radiology interview. It can make the difference between achieving a spot in your desired program or not!

 

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What Is The Optimal Call Situation For Radiology Residents?

opitmal call situation

Almost every program has its method of giving radiology residents the “call” experience. But, by no means is it standardized. Some programs have in-house attendings to back up the residents. Others use nighthawk, some all the time, and others sparsely. Some don’t have much in-house backup at all. And others weigh CT scans more highly than other modalities. And the list of possibilities for any given program can vary on and on. So, what critical elements of the optimal call situation should you look for when you are thumbing through the different radiology programs out there to find the one that best fits you? Of course, I will give you my two cents!

Independence Of Decision Making For The Optimal Call Situation

First and foremost, unless you want to do research permanently and cannot give a lick about making independent decisions, you should consider this priority one when searching for a call experience. At some point during your residency, you must make your own decisions, which need to count. Without this factor, you will never truly leave your first year of residency. The ability to make sound decisions is the difference between a student and a radiologist. So, make sure you have the power to make some decisions in each of the different modalities. Each modality that you cannot make an independent decision for is one less modality your residency will prepare you for when you finish!

Meaningful Decisions To Have Some Affect On Patient Management

To be clear, making a decision is not enough. The decisions that you make need to have some impact on your workup. The pressure of worrying about patients will keep you up at night, both as a resident and as an attending. Making calls that go nowhere will not be enough to satisfy the requirement of independent call. Every radiologist needs to know the consequences of what we do. Otherwise, you will become powerless to make these same decisions in practice.

A Reasonable Quantity Of Cases

It is easily possible to veer on either side of this equation. Some residencies are so overburdened with cases that the resident has no time to think and make decisions. So, too many of the decisions are bad ones. Likewise, if you are working call at a podunk hospital that is about to close from a lack of patient visits each year, this is not such an optimal call situation for learning either. At nighttime, your residency should have enough work to teach you how to become a radiologist. It’s hard to give you an exact number, but it’s usually a little more than you might think!

A Good Mix Of Cases

Some institutions are in counties where everyone comes from the same culture/background. This mix of cases is not such a great recipe for learning about the diversity of radiology. Also, if the program relegates you to read CT only and gives you no opportunities to look at MRI and plain film cases, this situation will not serve you so well. Find a residency where you can get sufficient studies in all modalities and patients.

Nighthawk Vs. Q Night

Finally, I have always been a proponent of the nighthawk system. I believe it will make your residency life a whole lot better for most of you. I find it very hard to adjust my sleep schedule to the every 4th-day rhythm. On the other hand, your body will get used to the nighthawk sequence reasonably quickly so that you no longer have the 4:30 am blues when you cannot see straight. This factor may not matter much for some with different circadian rhythms. But for me, it makes a humongous difference!

The Optimal Call Situation For Radiology Residents

No call situation is perfect. However, to optimize your overnight learning during your radiology residency, find programs where you have independence and meaning in your decisions, a decent number and mix of cases, and a nighthawk rotation. You will discover that these features will enhance your learning once you practice more independently, which will eventually spill over to your work as an attending. At that point, you will feel comfortable in your skin, knowing that you had excellent training!

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Why Mission Statements Are Mission Critical

mission statements

Ever thought about what kind of radiologist you wanted to be? Many of you, you were probably thinking about private practice. Others have thought about writing papers and becoming the academic type. Maybe you are a hands-on radiologist and like to have your fingers on everything. And, a distinct minority of you may have opted for the business route. But have you ever noticed the website of the residency you attended or are interested in joining? Many of you have not thought twice about it. But, at the beginning of your residency website, mission statements describe what the residency program strives to be. Does that match what you have ultimately wanted to become? You may not realize it, but it is probably a pretty good match in most cases. And that is for a good reason. It is what the program that you attended trained you to become.

For those applying to residencies, this message about your residency should play a significant role in your decision to interview and rank the programs you attend. But, it usually is barely a thought within the application process. Getting into a residency program itself can be daunting enough. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t blow this message aside. It could make the difference between a career you desire and one you will regret. And here are the critical reasons why.

Mentorship

If you attend a program with a mission statement that contradicts what you strive to achieve, it can make it a bit more challenging to obtain the desired outcome. For instance, if you are going to a program without a research emphasis and want to learn to write papers, you will have a more challenging time finding a mentor who can teach you the ropes. It’s not impossible. But, you will not find it as easy to learn the tricks of the trade. To get high-quality papers published, you need certain ingredients. And, you are more likely to find the know-how in a program that does say research in its mission statement.

Or, if you are interested in global radiology and the program does not state anything about it, you are less likely to find a radiologist that works outside the country to emulate. You will have a harder time finding the connections you need to make a similar jump in your career.

Location/Reputation

Some programs mention that they are well known regionally, nationally, or internationally. Depending on where you want to stake your reputation, this factor can influence the location of your practice when you finally set up shop. A regionally known residency is excellent if you want to stay in the area. Likewise, if you wish to have connections throughout the country, consider a program with a national reputation. And, if you want international referrals and work, a residency with this reputation may be the right one for you. These choices can impact where you decide to work in the end.

Procedural

You will notice the words hands-on in some residency mission statements. This verbiage symbolizes that the staff has the procedural know-how to train its residents to feel comfortable with many radiology procedures. Not all programs emphasize these skills. So, it is critical to figure out if you want a residency with a procedure-heavy emphasis. It’s not necessarily for everyone!

Cultural Factors

Other mission statements will claim to have to maintain a diverse class. These residencies may utilize culture/race/sex in addition to interests and competencies to decide which residents to rank in their program. So, expect a more racially/ethnically diverse mix in these programs than another one that does not mention this factor. 

Connections and Mission Statements

If you cull through mission statements with a fine-tooth comb, you will notice that they may talk about connections within the community, global resources, businesses/industry, or other departments. Take these connections seriously because they may influence your residency and where you ultimately decide to practice. They may allow you to branch out to other areas that may jibe with your interests. It’s something else to mull.

Mission Statements Are More Critical Than What You Might Initially Think!

When you decide on a residency, that little phrase at the beginning of the residency website holds much power over your future career. Generally, it is a theme that the residency program follows seriously and can impact where you want to practice and what you will eventually do. So, before deciding where you want to go, take a second look at this clause. And determine if the values and ideals derived from these mission statements mesh with yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Do “Fancy” Residency Websites Mean Better Programs?

residency websites

Sure, some residency websites blow others out of the water. They have more fancy videos, smiling attendings, and satisfied residents. Their FAQs are thorough, and the mission statement is clear. But does this fluff and bluster mean you are in for a better ride during your residency? Or, does the word of your colleagues and faculty take precedence over anything you might see or hear on a residency application website? Let’s come to our conclusions. 

The History

Once upon a time, years ago, believe it not, there were no residency websites. And even after that, when I applied in 1997-1998, they were more of a mere afterthought. Anyone worth their salt would do their digging into the ins and outs of residency programs. Programs barely updated their information because the number of eyeballs hitting the web was far from what it is today. It simply was not the primary way to assess a program.

Fast forward to our time, and that is no longer the case. The currency of the world as we know it is the internet. And, if you don’t play that game, you lose.

Does A “Fancy Pants” Website Equal Better?

Let’s talk about some of the positives of well-curated residency websites. First, it shows that the residency program or hospital put some forethought into their online presence. So, it signifies hospital organization and a desire for the entity running the video to recruit residents. Remember. Creating a decent website is not required, so that is all well and good. Therefore, there is a tendency for residencies with high-quality websites to have more resources.

However, websites only show you the best of what the residency program and institution want to show. They will not let you know that they have not met their annual requirements to publish articles. Or, it will not tell you that they barely passed the last site visit due to a lack of faculty motivation. So, be very careful to believe everything the website wants you to see.

How Should You Evaluate Residency Websites In Your Calculus For Making A Decision?

Websites are helpful for a superficial survey of what the program may have to offer. Suppose the mission statement on the website declares that they aim to produce community radiologists. Then, it is probably true that you are looking at a program that deemphasizes research to make residents into good quality overall radiologists. So, if you are gung-ho about radiology research, it may be a way to exclude that residency program.

However, suppose you like the residency because the faces all looked happy, and the culture seemed benign. In that case, you will never know from watching a few videos from the institution and mulling the rhetoric on the website. It is a facade. I recommend checking the institution for yourself to know more about a program’s reputation.

Residency Websites: A Serious Business

Given the competition for the best residents among institutions, residency websites have become more of a significant business than years ago. But, it is a means of promotion. It may not demonstrate all the facts you need to hear before making your final decisions. So, regardless of whether a website is glorious or lousy, look under the cover and dig a little bit deeper if you are still interested in the program. Interview and check out the facilities if you still like them. And, of course, talk to the residents in the program if possible to get the real scoop. Don’t ever rely on a residency website and your primary/only source of information to make your final decisions!

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DO Or Foreign MD- Which One Is Better For Radiology?

foreign md

Each specialty looks for different skill sets and activities when selecting candidates for residency. As part of an admissions committee, institutions scour dean’s letters, recommendations, board scores, volunteer activities, and more to ensure that the candidate makes it through rigorous residencies. However, one of the most “in-your-face” factors that most residencies cannot overlook is the degree applicants have completed. Yes, it is a soft criterion because a suitable candidate can graduate from most foreign MD programs or DO institutions in the United States. Nevertheless, it can become an issue, especially when the committee is not sure of the quality of the medical school.

So, for radiology residency specifically, which degree stands out as the best for applicants? And, which one gives them the best chance of getting into a radiology residency program? I will break down the different degrees into Caribbean MD, Other Foreign MD, and DO schools to accomplish this feat. For each, I will give you the insider advantages and disadvantages. Then, I will provide you with my opinion of the rank order based on the objective facts of each degree.

Top Tier Caribbean MD Schools

Within the Caribbean MD schools, there are undoubtedly several tiers. First of all, we know the quality of St George’s institution since we have had a relationship with them in the past. And, we know that a top student from this school performs at the level of most United States medical schools as we see in our program. Moreover, many other program directors feel the same way from what I have heard. Unfortunately, many medical schools nowadays are biased against Caribbean graduates, even St. George. Many large prestigious academic institutions won’t even touch one of these applications unless the applicant is an exception to the rule.

Furthermore, with the AOA (American Osteopathic Association) combination with the ACGME (Accreditation College For Graduate Medical Education), having a DO degree is no longer a disadvantage for getting a residency. DO residents no longer have to complete separate osteopathic internships and osteopathic accredited residencies. So, Caribbean residents have more competition than ever before to get into ACGME accredited residencies. But, at least, the Caribbean schools with a known reputation can help these applicants secure a spot.

And then finally, the new Step I board pass/fail non-scoring criteria will prevent radiology residency programs from assessing incoming students’ test-taking acumen, which correlates with passing the radiology boards. Therefore, residencies will be more wary of accepting a Caribbean student, even from a top-tier program, especially without knowing if they are a good test taker.

Other Foreign MD Schools

For other foreign MD programs, residencies have the same problems. It’s a problem of familiarity. What does a degree from a Taiwanese, Indian, or Iranian institution mean? This problem is even more complicated than the top-tier Caribbean schools (where we are more familiar). How do we know how students compare to United States schools that graduate? Perhaps, a few institutions do break this mold. But for the most part, we cannot figure out where a candidate stands. Nor do we have the time and energy to tease that out. Primarily, we don’t need to when programs have so many excellent United States candidates to choose from nowadays.

Additionally, the ACGME combining the AOA and the new Step I board pass-fail criteria will make it much more difficult for these students to secure a radiology residency slot due to the increased competition.

DO Schools

Today, many MD radiology residency programs still have a bias against DO candidates, especially at larger academic institutions. Nevertheless, all DO schools must meet the same criteria as MD schools since the AOA and the ACGME have combined into one organization. Therefore, even at the most questionable United States DO institution, theoretically, we should know the baseline training of the medical student applicant. We cannot receive this same assurance from a foreign graduate school.

Moreover, getting rid of the Step I board scores will have a negligible effect on these applicants. Why? Because we have an idea of the baseline quality of these US accredited schools.

So, What’s The Final Ranking Of DO AND Foreign MD Degrees For 2022?

From best to worst chance of securing a radiology residency spot:

  1. DO Schools
  2. Top Tier Caribbean MD Schools
  3. Other Foreign MD Schools

 Just a few words of advice, because you may have graduated from a lesser-known foreign medical school does not mean you have no shot of acquiring a radiology residency. And, if you are coming from a top-tier United States medical school, it does not mean you are guaranteed a spot. But, the type of program you are coming from influences the chances of getting in. You were wondering about probabilities, right?

 

 

 

 

 

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A Last-Minute Decision To Go Into Radiology Is OK!

last-minute decision

So, you’ve put all this time into beefing up your application for radiation oncology, urology, neurosurgery, or medicine. You have researched and toiled in these or other subspecialty electives for countless hours to make a good impression. And, it’s about time to make that ultimate decision to pursue your final goal. But, something doesn’t feel quite right. Your gut tells you that you will probably not want to spend the rest of your life in this field. What do you do? For those of you that have to make soon that heart-wrenching decision of which specialty to choose, it is OK to make a last-minute decision. Trust me. Don’t worry about disappointing others or not pursuing your original goal. Here are the reasons why.

A Subspecialty Career Lasts A Lifetime

We are not talking about just a few years. Whatever specialty you decide to choose can last the remainder of your career. So, don’t worry about disappointing your colleagues, research cohorts, and mentors. Don’t do it if you are sure that you are pursuing the wrong path!

Physicians Are Miserable When They Don’t Pick The Specialty Their Heart Desired

I know that too many physicians are miserable and burnt out in their career path. Many of them regret the day that they chose the wrong specialty. And, many decide upon the incorrect medical field because the one they want is time-consuming or “tough.” Most of us can live with a few challenging years, but not for difficult years for the remainder of our careers!

Friends, Colleagues, Mentors, Will Understand Your Last-Minute Decision

You may receive some disappointed looks at first. But, in the end, your true friends will understand that you need to make this decision for yourself, not for someone else, and certainly not for a superficial reason. Real friends will eventually understand the choice you made

Last-Minute Decisions Happen All The Time

I don’t know about you. But, I know many physicians, specifically radiologists, who decided to join the fold at the last minute on their fourth-year radiology rotation. No, they may not have all the credentials of someone preparing to do this pathway all along. But, they can make excellent radiologists (sometimes even better than ones that already knew their destiny!)

Hard to Back Out Once In A Pathway

The easiest time to make a decision is now. Once you have already started a new residency, it is much harder to reverse course. You need to get permission from program directors, colleagues, and the federal government! And you may not have the funds to change paths so easily. So, make this decision to go into radiology before you start another residency if you can!

You Don’t Need Tons Of Research To Get Into A Decent Radiology Program

Yes, completing research is excellent. But do you need tons of research to get into a radiology program? No! We have selected many candidates who did not have a laundry list of radiology-relevant projects. So, if you decide to avoid radiology because you don’t have the research to do so, don’t!

Better Off Getting Into A Mediocre Radiology Program Than None At All (It’s A Self Taught Discipline Anyway!)

Think again if you are interested in radiology and are not applying because you can only get into mediocre programs. Many great radiologists have not gone to man’s best institution. Fortunately for you, much of radiology is a self-taught discipline regardless. Any program in your desired field of choice is better than no program!

Look At Me! I Made A Last-Minute Decision

Lastly, and more importantly, please consider that I am one of those radiologists who made their decision after being on the internal medicine track all along. I only made my final decision at the beginning of the fourth year. And, it all worked out very well for me. You can make a last-minute decision to go into radiology as well!

The Last-Minute Decision!

Society puts too many negative connotations on the last-minute decision. In truth, though, last-minute choices are not always bad. What is terrible is refraining from pursuing what you want because you believe you have a fixed path. So, make that last-minute decision to join the radiology fold if that is what you want. Your last-minute decision can be the best one!

 

 

 

 

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What Hobbies Correlate With Becoming A Successful Radiologist?

successful radiologist

After reading a gazillion personal statements and participating in another bazillion interviews, I would be a kazillionaire if I had a dollar for every time I read that a medical student will make a successful radiologist because of one of their hobbies. And, if you gave me a small rock for every time a medical student claims that they are great at one of these hobbies and how that applies to radiology, I would be sitting on top of Mount Everest! So, do hobbies have any correlation whatsoever with becoming a high-quality radiologist? The answer to that question is yes. But, not the way you might think at first. And indeed, not in the way most folks add their hobbies to their personal statement.

So, let’s go through some of the more common hobbies applicants think will make them great radiologists. Next, I will disclose why applicants believe these hobbies make them higher-quality radiologists. But, of course, I will debunk this perceived correlation. Finally, I will reveal how hobbies help the average radiologist!

Photographers

One of the most popular themes in personal statements is the correlation between becoming an excellent radiologist and one’s love for photography. I often hear how they can see subtleties and make those same findings on a film. Well, I can think of several resident photographers, and their radiology abilities are all over the map. Some are excellent radiologists, and others are more average. So, I am not sure if this skill makes a significant difference in your findings skills. 

Video Gamers

Like photography, I have seen tons of applicants talking about video games as one of their hobbies. A more rarified few will claim that they are extraordinary competitive video gamers and have won prizes or cash for their endeavors. On this point, I have seen several articles talking about improved hand-eye coordination. But, it can also lead to distractions and decreased reading during residency. So, I feel that in terms of becoming a better radiologist, playing video games is kind of a wash.

Art Connoisseurs

Like the photographer, these folks talk about their love for paintings and museums. Others will even paint pictures themselves, some that have even made it to a gallery or two. And then folks tend to claim that they have a “good eye.” It is also a typical statement that I hear about in recommendations that usually tell me nothing. Why? Anyone can make this claim, and it is hard to back it up with facts as a medical student. Nevertheless, this hobby is a popular radiology applicant pursuit. In and of itself, I am not sure if it correlates that well with quality!

Cooking

Here is a hobby that I also love. I prefer to eat my food than the food I purchase at restaurants. And, it does involve some hand-eye coordination, creativity, and knowledge. However, when I look at the applications of incoming medical students, I find nearly every other one has the same hobby. Because it is so prevalent in society, it doesn’t add much except for an excellent conversation between myself and the interviewee!

Music And The Successful Radiologist

We have all sorts of “radiologists-to-be” that either listen to, play, or dance to all kinds of music. For those that play different instruments (like myself), it undoubtedly is a great outlet to have fun and mix with other like-minded bandmates and friends. And, for the dancers and players among us, these folks may have slightly better hand-eye coordination. (plus or minus) Some may DJ on the weekends, and others may perform gigs. The extra time can detract from residency studying or improve hand-eye coordination. Nevertheless, I don’t see a strong correlation between the love for music and becoming a better radiologist in the way you might think!

So, How Do Hobbies Correlate With Becoming A Successful Radiologist?

Well, here is the kicker! None of these hobbies have much to do with the quality of radiologist that you will become. (as much as you might think!) However, having a hobby is more important than the hobby itself. You have something else to discuss and fall back upon when things may not go your way during residency. So, don’t worry about your hobby per se and how it will turn you into a great radiologist. It will not transform you into the “radiologist Excalibur.” In that respect, it is not so important. But add your hobbies to your application because it adds to your persona and character. We do like real people in our specialty of radiology!

 

 

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Radiology Residency Makeover: What Can Make A Truly Excellent Program!

radiology residency makeover

Everyone has a different vision of what residency should be when they start. And some discover that residency is nothing as expected. Perhaps, you thought that you would get more lectures, but you are not receiving enough. Or, maybe you thought you would receive more thorough assessments by the faculty every week, but no one is checking up on you. Every residency has its sore points. But let’s say you could construct a radiology residency from scratch; what are some of the most critical elements you would like to fix? From an associate program director’s perspective, here are some essential items for a radiology residency makeover from the beginning!

Filling Out Evaluations- Seriously

In many residencies, evaluations get placed on the back-burner because attendings are busy and barely have time to do their work. But, what if faculty took these assessments seriously and took the time to give you real constructive criticism? I mean the type of analysis that would help fix your dictations or make you better at performing procedures. That takes a bit of time. But, receiving constructive criticism such as this would be well worth the price.

Formalized Guideposts For Applicants

Yes, most residencies claim to use milestones to ensure that residents are well on their way toward becoming independent radiologists. However, it’s more of a checkbox that most residencies place in residents’ portfolios to document progress. However, wouldn’t it be nice to have a radiology residency makeover so that you have specific achievable requirements to meet the goals and expectations of the program. I am talking about the type of thing such as the ability to read x numbers of chest films in a day by year two or having a formal standardized assessment for performing paracenteses that everyone needs to complete before allowing residents to do them independently. These guideposts are helpful and will enable you to know where you are at any given moment!

Lectures- Quality And Quantity

Some residencies promise lectures to all residents but do not deliver. Lecturers regularly cancel noon conferences due to other work obligations that they need to meet. Other residences give talks, but they are not of sufficient quality for residents to learn the material. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a residency that consistently provides the material you need to know with excellent lectures? And, lecturers that cancel permanently have a backup on deck—furthermore, all lessons are of homogeneously excellent quality.

A Radiology Residency Makeover So That All Faculty Care About Resident Welfare

Every program has some knowledgeable faculty. Nevertheless, it is another thing to care about resident well-being. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all faculty on board looking out for residents’ self-interest? It only takes a few caring attendings to help their residents along so that they can achieve great things. Whether it is helping pass the boards or having an interested soul to talk to, caring faculty can make all the difference in the residency experience.

Residents Running The Show

In the end, we need to be able to train residents to work competently and independently. On the other hand, some residencies don’t give the residents enough independence on all the rotations to truly get the experience they need to take charge of their service. Maybe they have needy patients that want attendings performing all the procedures. Or the faculty does all the work. Perhaps, an attending on-call overreads all your dictations. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could show that you could run the rotation at some point during your four years?

Residency Makeover: What Can Make A Truly Excellent Program!

As an associate program director, taking evaluations seriously, formalized guideposts, quality lectures, caring faculty, and allowing residents to take charge are some features that can transform a mediocre program into an excellent one. If you are lucky, your program follows these descriptions to a tee. But, life is not perfect, and neither are residency programs nor their faculty. Nevertheless, now you know, in an ideal world, this is probably your residency director’s dream!