Radiologists
Under the title Radiologists, workers diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. O*NET rates it as extensive preparation, which usually means graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. It leans on speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening. The job can ask you to prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings. On the six-type interest model it reads IRC, meaning research, analysis and working through hard problems comes first, followed by hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. People who want research, analysis and working through hard problems usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.
Main tasks
- Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
- Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
- Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
- Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
- Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
Skills
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.4 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code IRC takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Post-Doctoral Training. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Attending Physician
- Diagnostic Radiologist
- Interventional Neuroradiologist
- Interventional Radiologist
- Musculoskeletal Specialty Radiologist (MSK Specialty Radiologist)
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.