Ever wonder what the general public thinks about who we are and what we do daily? Here are some thoughts and fallacies about their perception of us versus our reality! General Public Thinks Radiologists And Radiology Technologists Are The Same! Almost every radiologist gets the question from their family or friends about whether you help position the patients to take the images they interpret. Or, you’ll get the question of whether you had to attend medical school. Well, the reason for that most likely stems from their perception that there are no differences between what a radiologist versus ..read more

I don’t know about you, but life can turn into hell in a handbasket when my lead technologist is absent. Noticeably, details are left undone. And, the technologists under them don’t function quite as efficiently as they used to. Of course, the responsibilities at these sites slightly differ if they work in an office versus a hospital But, I have noticed that what makes a lead tech successful at both remains mostly the same. So, what are the lead radiology technologist critical roles at your imaging center or hospital? And, what are those traits that make your department run as smooth ..read more

As I was on the phone with a colleague trying to convince the referrer of why I think a patient has Paget’s disease instead of metastases, I described the cortical thickening of the iliopectineal line and the lack of activity on the bone scan at the site and elsewhere throughout the body. And I mentioned the MRI was nonspecific, with some expansion of the ilium that went along with the case. The retort was that the alkaline phosphatase level was not high. And to that, I added that Paget’s disease in the chronic phase often does not demonstrate elevation of this enzyme. All this back and forth ..read more

Exceptionally few things can be more confusing as a resident than how much to put in a report. Each faculty member tells you something slightly different. Some want every little detailed description. And others want a dictation that is so short it may even skip over some of the relevant findings. Since the diverse dictations you read are so vast, and each attending does it differently, the variety of recommendations you receive is also all over the map. So, how do you decide what kind of dictation detail is right for you? Well, let me give you some pointers. Don’t Get Too Deep Into The We ..read more

You may think it is just a pipe dream, getting an unforeseen large windfall. (and I’ve spoken about small windfalls before). Nevertheless, throughout my years of stewardship in the residency program, I have encountered a few residents who have had a significant life-changing amount of money fall into their hands. Some with cryptocurrency, others with family inheritance, and others with a stock pick that rose much more than expected. So, what is the best way to deal with a substantial windfall like this? OK. It might not happen to you. But it still occurs more often than you might think. And, i ..read more

During residency, life will present you with many options. Sometimes you can decide to study for the boards instead of actively seeking to learn new procedures or experiences. Or, there will be times when you can get out of work early in the afternoon because you went to a half-day conference, and no one is taking attendance anyway. But, radiology residency is only four years. And, the time you have to learn new procedures with experienced professionals and make the mistakes you need to make before you go out into the real world is limited. You may not realize now how critical it is to spend e ..read more

Over the past six months or so, I started to listen to Dave Ramsey. He is a no-nonsense straight shooter who gives excellent financial advice to folks who call into his show. Moreover, he has an infectious laugh and is very witty. If the topic of finance interests you, once you start listening, it will become addicting! Nevertheless, we as radiologists must be careful when we take some of his advice at face value. Some of his advice does not apply well to late-blooming indebted radiologists who make a very high income. So, what parts of his advice should we think twice about? He ..read more

I can’t speak for everyone. But, nowadays, most practices throughout the country feel the pinch of an acute radiologist shortage crunch. For those on the job seeker’s side, the news right now is a mixed blessing. It is excellent for those of you searching for a job. But, once you set your career path, you may notice longer-term issues until the crisis resolves. Here are some of the problems you may encounter once you start working. New Radiologists Making More At The Expense Of Future Earnings Most of you probably see some of the advertisements for new radiologists on the web. Starting salarie ..read more

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 ..read more

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” is a famous quote that cannot be more true for us radiologists. I’m sure many of you have thought about what it would be like to work from a tropical island like Hawaii to read teleradiology cases several weeks out of the year in practice. Doesn’t sound too bad? How about reading evening studies and frolicking on the beaches with a Mai-Tai in hand in the daytime? Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news; I will have to squash that thought for most of you. And here are some of the most likely reasons it won’t work. It’s Still Relatively E ..read more