Radiology 101
Marie has aspired to be a Neurosurgeon for some time. Both of her parents are Medical Scientists, and finding a knack for Science and Medicine, and feeling a strong desire for a generous income, she has decided that Medical School is the way to go. Her father has tried to convince her that Cardiology was the way to go, and indeed, Cardiologists (and Heart Surgeons in particular) do make a good deal of money. However, Marie was not to be deterred. She really wanted to work with the brain.
And then I started researching various upper-end medical careers, and discovered Radiology.
Radiologists are the people who give you x-rays, MRI's, CAT scans, sonograms, all that fun stuff. At least, they're the ones who make the diagnoses. You may not be aware, but Radiology requires a full medical degree, as Radiologists are full doctors who do diagnose and treat various illnesses (Radiation treatment for cancer is one type of intervention they do).
So, why Radiology instead of Neurosurgery, you ask? Well, if Marie were to become a Neuroradiologist, she'd focus her attentions on CT scans and MRI's and the like, specializing on the head and brain, and would still be able to spend her time with brains. Unlike a Neurosurgeon, she would not have to do much manual work, however, as most of a Radiologist's duties are mental in nature (such as diagnosing or treating through carefully calibrated equipment). So, you might say that the job is easier.
However, that's not the only perk to being a Radiologist. One of the prime attractions is the income. The demand for Radiologists is at an all-time high, and with the baby-boomers getting older, that demand is only increasing as their bodies start to fall apart. Radiologists are in short supply, making up less than 1.3% of all Physicians. The result:
Starting salary for a Radiologist is generally in the $200-350k/year range. They usually gain "partnership" after two years (less if they have experience), at which point salary jumps to $400-600k/year. If a Radiologist can land the right job (far from impossible, particularly if one is not picky about where one lives), he or she will never have to work weekends or evenings. However, the benefits don't stop here. Radiologists are often offered very nice benefit packages (paid CME, malpractice insurance, etc.), and Radiologists are usually given about 8-20 weeks of vacation a year. Yes, that's right. 16 weeks is not uncommon. One job offer I heard about was for $600,000 and 26 weeks of (yes, paid) vacation per year. If you'll notice, 26 weeks = ½ of the year. You may be surprised to hear that the offer was declined-apparently the applicant got a better offer elsewhere. With salaries reaching and exceeding $900,000/year at the upper end, Radiology is a very attractive medical career, both in terms of what one must put in, and what one gets out.
Another factor is the education required. To become a Neurosurgeon, one must get a Bachelor's, and then 4 years of Medical school, and then be in Residency for 6 years (grand total = 14 years). To become a Radiologist you still need a Bachelor's and 4 years of Medical School, but Residency is only 4 years (total = 12 years). So you can start your career two years earlier.
Radiology is the only medical field that can compete with Invasive Cardiology (heart surgery) with income earned, and Radiologists generally have much more relaxed lifestyles than Cardiologists. For anyone considering Medicine, Radiology appears to be a very good deal as things stand.
For those interested in Radiology but without the 12 years of schooling & residency required, you can now become certified/get a degree to become a Radiographer, Radiological Technologist, or Radiological Assistant. Radiography only requires two years of schooling, but offers perhaps a tenth of the income as actual Radiology. Radiological Technologists often have Bachelor's degrees, and Radiological Assistants (or Radiological Nurses) often require a minimal amount of medical schooling.
Most of you probably had not heard of Radiology before this. Consider yourselves informed.
And then I started researching various upper-end medical careers, and discovered Radiology.
Radiologists are the people who give you x-rays, MRI's, CAT scans, sonograms, all that fun stuff. At least, they're the ones who make the diagnoses. You may not be aware, but Radiology requires a full medical degree, as Radiologists are full doctors who do diagnose and treat various illnesses (Radiation treatment for cancer is one type of intervention they do).
So, why Radiology instead of Neurosurgery, you ask? Well, if Marie were to become a Neuroradiologist, she'd focus her attentions on CT scans and MRI's and the like, specializing on the head and brain, and would still be able to spend her time with brains. Unlike a Neurosurgeon, she would not have to do much manual work, however, as most of a Radiologist's duties are mental in nature (such as diagnosing or treating through carefully calibrated equipment). So, you might say that the job is easier.
However, that's not the only perk to being a Radiologist. One of the prime attractions is the income. The demand for Radiologists is at an all-time high, and with the baby-boomers getting older, that demand is only increasing as their bodies start to fall apart. Radiologists are in short supply, making up less than 1.3% of all Physicians. The result:
Starting salary for a Radiologist is generally in the $200-350k/year range. They usually gain "partnership" after two years (less if they have experience), at which point salary jumps to $400-600k/year. If a Radiologist can land the right job (far from impossible, particularly if one is not picky about where one lives), he or she will never have to work weekends or evenings. However, the benefits don't stop here. Radiologists are often offered very nice benefit packages (paid CME, malpractice insurance, etc.), and Radiologists are usually given about 8-20 weeks of vacation a year. Yes, that's right. 16 weeks is not uncommon. One job offer I heard about was for $600,000 and 26 weeks of (yes, paid) vacation per year. If you'll notice, 26 weeks = ½ of the year. You may be surprised to hear that the offer was declined-apparently the applicant got a better offer elsewhere. With salaries reaching and exceeding $900,000/year at the upper end, Radiology is a very attractive medical career, both in terms of what one must put in, and what one gets out.
Another factor is the education required. To become a Neurosurgeon, one must get a Bachelor's, and then 4 years of Medical school, and then be in Residency for 6 years (grand total = 14 years). To become a Radiologist you still need a Bachelor's and 4 years of Medical School, but Residency is only 4 years (total = 12 years). So you can start your career two years earlier.
Radiology is the only medical field that can compete with Invasive Cardiology (heart surgery) with income earned, and Radiologists generally have much more relaxed lifestyles than Cardiologists. For anyone considering Medicine, Radiology appears to be a very good deal as things stand.
For those interested in Radiology but without the 12 years of schooling & residency required, you can now become certified/get a degree to become a Radiographer, Radiological Technologist, or Radiological Assistant. Radiography only requires two years of schooling, but offers perhaps a tenth of the income as actual Radiology. Radiological Technologists often have Bachelor's degrees, and Radiological Assistants (or Radiological Nurses) often require a minimal amount of medical schooling.
Most of you probably had not heard of Radiology before this. Consider yourselves informed.