Wondering what a radiology specialist does? Such specialists are medical doctors who specialize in analyzing the results of the medical tests conducted through the radiology technique. One of the most common radiology tests is X-Ray. These specialist radiology doctors examine the results and advice the caregiver about a particular treatment plan.
Apart from giving suggestions, these specialists also provide radiation to treat many diseases including, cancer. However, some specialist radiology doctors do their specialization in breast radiology, cardiovascular radiology, and emergency radiology.
Being a specialist radiology doctor can be the best career path for any medical student. When a student chooses the medical path, radiology is one of the parts that a student usually opts for. But, many are unaware of how to become a radiology specialist. Here are the details for the same.
Table of Contents
Becoming A Radiology Specialist- Here Is What You Need To Know-
The whole career path to becoming a specialist radiology doctor is mentioned in this section:
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Obtain Bachelor’s Degree:
If you are planning to do M.D., it is recommended to obtain a bachelor’s degree, at first. During the bachelor’s degree, you will complete the pre-requisite courses, including anatomy, biology, physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, writing, math courses, and so on. For getting a better medical school, a candidate should get at least a B in these courses. A candidate should take Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT). These tests can be during the junior year of the undergraduate.
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Attend A Renowned Medical School:
For radiology specialists, it is essential to have an M.D. degree from a reputed medical school. For this M.D. degree, a candidate must clear the MCAT and get admission to a top-level medical school. The M.D. degree will be of four years. In the initial two years, you will get hands-on training which will help you gain experience.
During this training period, a candidate will get the chance to work with experienced doctors at hospitals and clinics. For becoming a specialist radiology doctor, a candidate needs to have a top position in the class.
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Gain experience with Internship:
Once a candidate gets the M.D. degree, another vital step is to get experience by internship. Without any training or internship period, a candidate cannot practice medicine. The next four years will be the training phase. However, rest assured; all the jobs or work done will be paid. After the first year, a candidate can perform radiology. However, with the experience, a candidate can interpret the results accurately.
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Fellowship:
For A specialist radiology doctor, you should know that the training doesn’t end with the four years of the residency program. They have to get into fellowship programs that may last for one or two years. Most radiology specialist gets into at least one fellowship program. However, some do two fellowship programs.
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Get license & Certification:
With the fellowship programs, the whole training process comes to an end. After which, a candidate can get state licensure. However, many radiologists prefer to get board certification. To obtain the board certification, a candidate must clear the oral and written board test. With this, a candidate becomes a radiologist doctor. But, to become a specialist, they have to clear an additional exam. After which, they can get the status of a specialist.
Conclusion-
The growth of the medical field is at a rapid pace. Due to this reason, many candidates are aspiring for medical courses, and specialist radiology doctor is one of the popular fields. The career paths are indeed difficult for this. A candidate needs to clear extensive exams and train to get the same. However, at the end of the day, your hard work will paid with the smiles of the patients who will thank you for your services.
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