Leveling the Playing Field
Like many aspects of higher education, numerous barriers exist making entry difficult, including implicit information available to few, preconceived ideas of how things work and lack of knowledge about how to break into a field. Radiology is not immune to this phenomenon, but many are actively working to share information, debunk misconceptions and invite medical students into the specialty.
Common obstacles for medical students entering the field of radiology include geographical situations, mentorship gaps and limited clinical exposure. Without a radiology department at the school, students face limited access to faculty mentors and career guidance, especially those with no existing professional networks. Travel, registration costs and logistics can prevent students from performing away rotations, establishing critical relationships, attending conferences and expanding networks.
Unless a student is proactive, financially sound and a bit lucky, they will probably run into difficulties. Even institutions with radiology departments often fail to offer clinical exposure until at least the end of third year, much later than ideal when building a radiology application or to decide if it’s a field of interest. Some preclinical classes and core rotations integrate imaging into the curriculum, but only a few offer hands-on opportunities to explore workflow, procedures and subspecialties.
Addressing this restricted engagement requires national-level advocacy and coordinated efforts to expand exposure and centralize resources. Luckily, ACR® plays a pivotal role in providing organized support. For example, the Pipeline Initiative for the Enrichment of Radiology (PIER) internship is a six-week virtual summer research program for rising second-year underrepresented minority medical students considering a career in the radiological sciences. The program not only provides medical students an opportunity to present and publish an ACR Case in Point® submission but also affords access to a national network of radiologists within all subspecialties.
The ACR also offers year-round journal clubs and webinars hosted by the ACR Medical Student Section Education Subcommittee, available both live and on demand, aimed at garnering interest in the field, promoting relevant discussions and dispelling myths about radiology. This student-led subcommittee provides opportunities to volunteer and showcase medical student efforts.
For example, seven medical students will present their radiological research during annual Virtual Research Fair on June 6 alongside two faculty presenters, Pamela Woodard, MD, FACR, and Fatima Elahi, DO, MHA. This 2.5-hour session includes a Q&A to encourage students to engage in discussion with both their peers and experienced attendings.
The education subcommittee also creates standardized yearly toolkits on radiology interest groups for medical students to use at their own schools while connecting to the national resource. These are just a few highlights of the resources available from the ACR Medical Student Section to help you learn new skills, make connections and build a meaningful career in radiology.
Below are a few testimonials from current medical students detailing their experiences navigating the field, illustrating the importance of exposure into this wonderful medical specialty.
In my third year of medical school, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do until I spent time with some radiologists and radiology residents. I quickly realized this field was meant for me and fell in love with it. I loved everything about it, from the checklist-oriented workflow to serving as imaging consultants to being the perfect intersection of anatomy, pathology and technology.
Something that surprised me is how patient-facing and ’social’ diagnostic radiology is now. I saw first-hand how diagnostic radiologists routinely perform procedures, field consults from nearly every specialty, cross-communicate with radiology technicians and execute academic duties such as teaching residents and medical students, especially within the breast and interventional radiology subspecialties.
After connecting with a radiology resident alum from my school, I was able to contribute to an abstract and conference presentation and that opened the door to mentorship and networking. The experience highlighted how access in radiology is often shaped by institutional connections, and how important it is to create more inclusive pathways for students without home programs.
The best thing to do initially is join organizations that provide early discovery and exploration into the specialty at no cost. Throughout medical school, continue exploring radiology resources or mentorship. And if you are starting “late”, don’t worry — radiology plays an integral role in medicine, providing multiple opportunities to connect with the discipline in your journey as a future radiologist.
Below is a comprehensive timeline with numerous suggestions — from your preclinical years all the way to your fourth year. With this, students may visualize how to cultivate a healthy network, establish a robust understanding of the different career avenues in radiology and begin to formulate a plan toward a healthy CV tailored to the specialty.
Preclinical Years (MS1 and MS2)
Apply to summer research fellowships or immersion programs, typically held in the summer between MS1 and MS2
Early Clinical Year (MS3)
Late Clinical Year (MS3–MS4)
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